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He had taken her hands . . . and was drawing her to him. 

See Page 176 



SADIE LOVE 


BY 

AVERY HOPWOOD 

It 

AUTHOR OF 

“fair and warmer,” “nobody’s widow,” 

DRAMATIZER OF “SEVEN DAYS,” 

ETC. 


NEW YORK 

JOHN LANE COMPANY 

MCMXV 


Copyright, 1915, 

“a pull honeymoon” 
By smart set CO., Inc. 


Copyright, 1915, by 
JOHN LANE COMPANY 


Press of 

J. J. .Little & Ives Co. 
/New York 



DEC -8 I9!5 



TO 

MY MOTHER 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

FACINQ 

FAQB 

He had taken her hands . . . and was drawing 
her to him Frontispiece 

‘^Dio!’’ gasped the Prince 38 ^ 

don^t care what you do to each other . . . but 
I won^t have a scandal ” 108 

Sadie Love . . . was reposing on the most com- 
fortable chaise-longue in the whole world . . 120 

He was making wild efforts to land on the little 
balcony 138 

^'Jim Wakeleyl Go to your room!^^ .... 242 v ' 



i 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER PAGE 

I. How It Began 9 

II. Enter the Comtesse 26 

III. Go TO Eeno! 38 

IV. Jim — But No Lilacs ! 57 

V. Much Too Much! 76 

VI. Put That Down 87 

VII. What Happened Then 103 

VIII. Not Yet — But We Will I 117 

IX. The Way the Porters Do 139 

X. A Little Supper 155 

XI. Moonlight — All the Way! .... 179 

XII. La Donna b Mobile 187 

XIII. Two’s Company! 211 

XIV. She Wobbles 228 

XV. Look Me In the Eye 254 

XVI. The Band Plays 279 



SADIE LOVE 


CHAPTEE I 

HOW IT BEGAN- 

They were looking for Sadie Love, and it was 
no wonder. To begin with, she wasn’t Sadie 
Love, any more. That was one reason why they 
were looking for her. Half an hour before, she 
had quietly, but firmly, become The Princess 
Pallavicini. I say quietly, because it was a quiet 
wedding, you know — ^no guests, or anything. I 
say firmly, because Sadie Love made her re- 
sponses without a tremor, and, in general, went 
through the ceremony with such serious dignity 
that Mrs. Warrington (who was Sadie’s Aunt 
Julia) heaved a sigh of relief and reflected that, 
at last, Sadie had ‘‘settled down.” But aftet 
the ceremony a dreadful thing had occurred^ 
9 


10 


SADIE LOVE 


Sadie Love had disappeared! (Of course she 
was the Princess Pallavicini now, but that 
didn’t alter the fact of her disappearance.) 

This is the way it happened. Sadie and the 
Prince had just got through making impossi- 
ble promises to each other ; that is to say, they 
had just been married. After that was over, 
the Prince had kissed Sadie, and Sadie had 
kissed the Prince, and they had both kissed 
Aunt Julia, and she had kissed both of them, and 
had wept profusely, and Sadie was exclaiming 
(feeling a bit weepish herself), ‘‘Aunt Julia — 
if you don’t stop that. I’ll get a divorce this 
minute 1 ’ ’ when Edward, the butler, came to say 
that ‘ ‘ Miss Love — he begged pardon — the Prin- 
cess” was wanted on the telephone. Where- 
upon Aunt Julia had wondered who on earth 
could be calling up at such a moment, and Sadie 
Love — ^being of a practical turn of mind — had 
gone to find out. And that was the last that 
they had seen of her. 

She had gone into the library, radiant in her 


HOW IT BEGAN 


11 


wedding finery, and no one had noticed her 
come out. But she must have come out of the 
library, for she wasn’t there any longer. What 
was much worse, she wasn’t anywhere else! 
Upstairs and downstairs they had looked, and 
in my lady’s chamber — ^but all in vain. And 
now they were waxing hysterical. ^^They,” so 
far, were only Aunt Julia, and Celeste, Sadie’s 
French maid; hut if they didn’t find her soon 
the Prince would have to he told. He was wait- 
ing, at that very moment, downstairs, to go on 
a honeymoon with Sadie. If she didn’t appear 
he would think it odd, to say the least. For, of 
course, he couldn’t go on his honeymoon alone. 

**Mon Bleu! Mon DieuF^ Celeste was ex- 
claiming, and Aunt Julia was quavering, ‘‘Sa- 
die! Sadie!” They had come into my lady’s 
chamber again, for the sixth time since their 
search began, and Aunt Julia was despairingly 
interrogating the delightful but unresponsive 
walls, and even the pink-and-white floor, and 
the lovely, tinted ceiling. And then, suddenly, 


12 


SADIE LOVE 


the door of the closet swung open and Sadie 
Love emerged. She was still in her bridal gown 
and veil. They looked a trifle rumpled and 
crumply, as if she had not had any too much 
room in the closet. It must have been a bit 
warm in there, too, for her face was flushed. 
Her eyes looked as if she had been crying. Evi- 
dently something was quite dreadfully wrong. 
Aunt Julia had never in all her life seen such 
an expression on Sadie ^s face — and she had 
seen all sorts of expressions there. For Sadie 
Love was a creature of charming change, and 
changing charm. And just now — ^though her 
gown and veil were crumpled, and her face was 
flushed, and she had been crying, and something 
dreadful was evidently the matter — in spite of 
all this, or perhaps because of it, Sadie Love 
had never looked so be\dtching. 

‘‘Sadie Love!” gasped Aunt Julia, ^^what 
have you been doing in that closet T ’ 

“IVe been changing my mind!” said Sadie. 
Her voice was rather choky, but her face wore 


HOW IT BEGAN 


13 


an expression of determination — if one conld 
accuse an April day of looking determined. 
‘‘Celeste/^ she commanded, ^^fermez la porte — ^ 
a clef!^* Celeste, her eyes quite goggly, obe- 
diently closed and locked the boudoir door. 
**Maintenant, vous me deshabillerez!^^ pro- 
nounced Sadie, and with that marched into her 
bedroom. Celeste, looking more goggly-eyed 
than ever, trailed after her. And Aunt Julia 
gathered her benumbed wits together and fol- 
lowed Celeste. 

When they came into the bedroom Sadie was 
trying to take oft her veil. It was caught, 
somehow, and she was tugging at it in a way 
that threatened to set her hair all askew. She 
had more hair than was fair for any one girl 
— and it was fair, too, — a distracting, reddish 
gold — and all curly, and crinkly, so that it 
made Sadie Love look exactly as if she had 
been drawn by Nell Brinkley. 

‘‘Sadie!’’ exclaimed Aunt Julia again — ^this 
time from the threshold of the bedroom, **what 


14 


SADIE LOVE 


were you doing in that closet T’ — as if Sadie 
hadn^t the moment before explained it all by 
saying that she was changing her mind. Be- 
fore Sadie had a chance to repeat her explana- 
tion Aunt Julia went on, agitatedly, ‘^Do you 
realize that your husband is waiting downstairs 
for you to start on your honeymoon T’ 

don’t want a honeymoon,” replied Sadie, 
in a hollow voice. Sadie’s lovely violet eyes 
were full of the most appealing distress, but 
she was trying to wear a look of grim deter- 
mination. The result was wholly satisfactory. 
If there had been a man there he would have 
kissed her. 

‘‘You — don’t want a honeymoon!” echoed 
Mrs. Warrington, blankly. 

“Oh, Aunt Julia,” said Sadie, agitatedly, 
“don’t be too terribly startled, but — ” she 
paused, and swallowed, and then, in an out- 
burst, ‘ ‘ I ’ve married the wrong man ! ’ ’ 

“Sadie!” gasped Mrs. Warrington. If she 
had not been so very well bred she would have 


HOW IT BEGAN 


15 


screamed. Perhaps she would have screamed 
anyhow, if she had had breath enough. But 
she hadn’t. That one, gasping Sadie” was 
all that she had strength for. 

‘‘Aunt Julia,” implored Sadie, *^donH get 
excited. ’ ’ 

Mrs. Warrington rallied her failing forces. 

“ Celeste !” ,she ejaculated weakly and point- 
ed to the door. 

non!^^ exclaimed Sadie to Celeste, de- 
taining her. ‘ ‘ Auntie, dear — you know Celeste 
doesn’t understand a word of English” — and 
she told Celeste, in French, to go on disrobing 
her. Celeste, who, though she didn’t under- 
stand English, yet knew perfectly well that the 
world was coming to an end, obeyed. By that 
time Mrs. Warrington had got some of her 
breath back. At any rate, she was able to 
quaver : 

“Sadie! What do you mean? Has Luigi 
done anything?” (Luigi was the Prince.) 

‘ ‘ Oh — no I ’ ’ exclaimed Sadie, unsteadily, “it’s 


16 


SADIE LOVE 


just — IVe married the wrong man, I tell you. 
I’ve been in too much of a burry, and — I’ve 
married the wrong man ! ’ ’ 

‘‘Oh — my dear!” Mrs. Warrington started 
toward her. “You’re upset — ^you — ” 

“Of course I’m upset,” interrupted Sadie, 
agitatedly. “Wouldn’t you be upset if you’d 
married the wrong man?” 

“I felt exactly the same way, the day I was 
married” — Mrs. Warrington was all flat- 
tery sympathy now — “it’s nervousness, my 
dear. ’ ’ 

“But it isn’t,” interrupted Sadie, desper- 
ately, shaking her head so that the crinkly 
golden curls all wobbled, distractedly, “I know 
I’ve married the wrong man — ^because I’m go- 
ing to marry someone else I ’ ’ 

“What!” said Mrs. Warrington, blankly. 
She was quite sure that she had not heard 
aright. 

“If he asks me.” 

“Sadie!” 


HOW IT BEGAN 


17 


‘Ht’s Jim — Jimmy Wakeley. He ’phoned 
from New York right after the ceremony. He’s 
on his way here now. He doesn’t know I’m 
married. And oh, Aunt Julia, he’s coming to 
propose to me.” 

‘‘Oh, good heavens!” Mrs. Warrington sat 
down abruptly. It is not quite accurate to say 
that she sat. She flopped. She was a digni- 
fied, middle-aged woman of impeccable breed- 
ing, but there’s no getting around it — she 
flopped ! 

“It’s terrible,” conceded Sadie, tearfully, “I 
know it is — ^but I can’t help it.” (Celeste, who 
was more than ever sure that the heavens were 
falling, had got Sadie out of her wedding gown 
by this time, and was now laying agitated hands 
on the going-away outfit.) 

“Sadie!” cried Mrs. Warrington, and the 
horrified energy with which she spoke brought 
her up out of the chair — onto which she had 
flopped, a moment before, “Are you out of your 
senses? You’re marriedl*^ 


18 


SADIE LOVE 


‘‘Only half an hour,’’ retorted Sadie, des- 
perately. “If I’m ever going to get out of it, 
now’s the time.” 

“Get out of it?” Mrs. Warrington almost 
sat down again. “You’ll calmly — ^give up your 
husband?” 

“Not calmly,” corrected Sadie, indignantly. 
“I did’t say I’d give him up calmly. I’m very 
fond of Luigi. I wouldn’t have married him if 
I hadn’t been fond of him.” 

“And yet,” cried Mrs. Warrington, increas- 
ingly appalled, “you’d give him up — for Jim 
Wakeley — whom you knew for only a few weeks, 
at Nice, a year ago — ^whom you’ve never heard 
from since.” 

“He says he can explain everything. He’s 
come hack from Europe — ^just to explain.” 

“When he ’phoned you — ^you never told him 
you were married?” 

“If I had he wouldn’t have come,” said Sadie 
Love, tearfully. Aunt Julia opened her mouth 
and threw up her arms. “I can’t help it. Aunt 


HOW IT BEGAN 


19 


Julia,’’ cried Sadie despairingly;, ^‘you know 
kow terribly muck I cared for Jim. Wken 
ke went away from Nice last winter — ^wken ke 
left me, tke way ke did — ^witkout a word, or a 
sign — it almost broke my keart. And tken, I 
told myself tkat I must forget kim. I tkougkt 
tkat I kad. I met Luigi, and ke — ke helped me 
to forget. But ok. Aunt Julia, tke moment I 
keard Jim’s voice, on tke ’pkone, just now — 
everytking came back to me! I could see kim 
again, just tke way ke looked tkat last day at 
Nice — slim, and eager, and kandsome — ^witk 
wkite lilacs in kis kands — and I realized tkat I 
kadn’t forgotten kim — tkat I never would — ^tkat 
I’d made a terrible mistake — ^tkat ke was tke 
one man I’d ever loved.” 

‘^Tken wky, in Heaven’s name,” cried Mrs. 
Warrington, in an outburst of despairing wratk, 
‘ ‘ wky did you marry Luigi ? ’ ’ 

‘^I kad to marry somebody, didn’t I?” re- 
torted Sadie, tearfully. 

Her tone was so keartrending tkat Celeste 


20 


SADIE LOVE 


(who was getting her into the going-away gown 
now) sniffled, in perfect sympathy. ‘‘I thought 
I’d never see Jim again; and Luigi was so 
awfully nice ! And he had such a way of look- 
ing into my eyes, and saying, ^Carissima, lo te 
amo/ and the first thing I knew I was en- 
gaged—” 

^^And now,” interrupted Mrs. Warrington, 
‘‘you’re married — and you’re going to stay 
married ! ’ ’ 

“But — Aunt Julia,” protested Sadie, agi- 
tatedly, “I can’t — go away with Luigi — I can’t 
— ^be his wife — feeling as I do about another 
man. It wouldn’t be moral/ ^ 

“Anything’s moral if you’re married,” de- 
clared Aunt Julia (who was old-fashioned). 

“Oh — ^no!” exclaimed Sadie Love (who 
wasn^t old-fashioned, and who was shocked). 
“If I’ve made a mistake — if Luigi and I 
are to part — the time to do it is now — ^to- 
day!” 

It looked for a moment as if that would set- 


HOW IT BEGAN 


21 


tie Aunt Julia, tlien and there. She got very 
pale, and her eyes rolled up so far that, for one 
awful instant, Sadie Love was afraid that they 
never would come back. 

‘‘Sadie Love!^’ gasped Mrs. Warrington. 
“Part — ^without even a honeymoon! What 
would people sayP^ 

Sadie Love considered for a moment what 
they would say, and then she said, “Well, for 
appearances’ sake, Luigi and I might go on a 
honeymoon, and separate afterwards.” That, 
instead of soothing Aunt Julia, threatened to 
bowl her over altogether. She opened her 
mouth to gasp “Sadie!” but no sound came 
forth. Sadie came to the rescue. “I mean, of 
course, an ostensible honeymoon.” 

“Yes, yes — do !” exclaimed Mrs. Warrington, 
clutching eagerly at even this straw of respecta- 
bility. “Start now. Start on any kind of a 
honeymoon!” 

But Sadie dashed her hopes. 

“Not till IVe seen Jim,” she said, with firm- 


22 


SADIE LOVE 


ness. Then, she looked pleased in spite of her- 
self. She had canght her own reflection in the 
mirror. She couldnT help feeling that sh^ had 
never had anything quite so nice as that going- 
away gown. Of course, it was very simple (as 
she had written her ten best friends) , but it was 
such a heavenly blue, and as for the hat — ^well, 
really! But, just at that moment. Aunt Julia 
gave another preliminary gasp, and Sadie Love 
hastily composed her guilty countenance into a 
semblance of proper disturbance. 

“And aU this,’^ wailed Mrs. Warrington, 
“just when I thought that, at last, you^d settled 
down. I thought you^d done everything un- 
heard of that you could do — ^but this — this caps 
the climax. To postpone your honeymoon so 
that another man can come and propose to 
you!’’ 

“Maybe he won’t,” said Sadie Love, in an 
attempt to be consoling. But, it must be con- 
fessed, she herself looked worried at the idea. 


HOW IT BEGAN 


23 


‘‘You’ll break Luigi’s heart,” Mrs. Warring- 
ton began to sob. 

“I wish I could marry them both,” said 
Sadie Love, and she began to cry, too. 

“Sadie Love!” 

‘ ‘ W ell, I do, ” said Sadie, tearfully. ‘ ‘ I don ’t 
want to break Luigi’s heart! And they do 
marry them both — in the South Seas — or some 
warm place!” And with that she started for 
the door. 

“Sadie! Where are you going?” cried Mrs. 
Warrington, in a panic. 

“Downstairs,” said Sadie. “I’ve got to tell 
Luigi, sooner or later. I might as well do it 
now.” 

“Sadie!” 

But it was too late. Sadie had gone. Mrs. 
Warrington stood staring helplessly after her. 
For a moment she had the impulse to follow 
Sadie and stop her, at all costs — and then she 
realized that it would be of no avail. When 


24 SADIE LOVE 

Sadie Love made up her mind to do a thing, 
do it she would. 

‘‘She^s half-way downstairs, by now,’^ 
thought poor Mrs. Warrington, quaveringly. 
‘ ‘ Now she ’s all the way down ! And now — she ^s 
telling him ! ’ ’ 

But she wasn’t. For, as Sadie reached the 
drawing-room, she was met by Edward, the 
butler. He was carrying his silver card-tray, 
and on it was a card, which he presented to 
Sadie. Sadie’s heart gave a leap. 

‘Ht’s Jim!” she thought, as she took the card. 
But it wasn’t. For, as Sadie looked at the card, 
she read, “Comtesse de Mirabole.” 

beg pardon, Miss Love — Princess, I 
mean,” ventured Edward, ‘‘but I think the lady 
wrote something on the back. ’ ’ 

Sadie turned the card over. On its back was 
written, in a foreign-looking hand, “I would 
see you, at once. It is of an importance. ’ ’ 

“It’s something about Luigi.” That, Sadie 
Love says, was the thought which flashed, in- 


HOW IT BEGAN 


25 


stantly, through, her mind. She gazed at the 
card for a moment, then, being a young woman 
of prompt decision, she turned to Edward : 
^‘Ask the Comtesse to come in,’’ she said. 
That was when the trouble began. 


CHAPTER n 

ENTER THE COMTESSE 

‘‘The Countess de Mirabole!^’ announced 
Edward. 

His announcement, as you perceive, was a 
trifle faulty. Instead of heralding the incom- 
ing lady as “Comtesse,’^ he announced her as 
plain “Countess.’^ And she wasnT a hit plain, 
for just then she came in, and proved that she 
wasnT. Even Edward (who was a veritable 
graven image of a butler) took another look 
at her, out of the comer of his eye, as he retired. 
In the same length of time which Edward con- 
sumed in that glance out of the comer of his 
eye, Sadie Love had measured the Comtesse 
from head to foot, and back again, had ac- 
quired an exact description of her toilette, had 
determined, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that 
26 


/ 


ENTER THE COMTESSE 


27 


lier gown had come from Marcelle, in the Rue 
de la Paix, and her hat from Georgette, in the 
same illnstrions thoroughfare, and had de- 
cided, also beyond the shadow of a donht, that 
the Comtesse, though young, made up out- 
rageously, that her coiffure was wonderful, but 
not entirely her own, that she was chic, even 
beyond the high average of the Parisienne, and 
that she (this time the she is Sadie Love) de- 
tested the Comtesse, instinctively, absolutely 
without reason, and for ever and ever, amen. 

The Comtesse advanced into the room, a bit 
too quickly to suggest entire composure. She 
raised her veil, and, with a somewhat nervous 
smile, started toward Sadie. Yes, there was no 
denying it — the Comtesse de Mirahole was enor- 
mously attractive. She had the blackest of hair, 
and wonderful big dark eyes, and the whitest 
of skins, and the reddest of red, red lips. Of 
course, she was made up — we will concede that 
to Sadie — hut she was young, and needed no 
cosmetic, so that her make-up, instead of be- 


28 


SADIE LOVE 


ing a confession of weakness, became a trinmpb. 
It developed and accentuated all her good 
points, and the Comtesse (at the risk of mak- 
ing her seem prickly) could be described as 
fairly bristling with good points. But it was 
her dash, her verve, her chic, that was her 
greatest asset. She was an exotic, a brilliant, 
animated orchid — ^though Sadie Love vehe- 
mently objects to this description of her. ‘‘Or- 
chid nothing,’^ she snaps. “A painted. Black- 
eyed Susan ! And she isn ’t a Parisienne. She ^s 
a Eoumanian! She was brought up as a Mo- 
hammedan till she was eleven — and so far as 
I can make out she wasn’t brought up as any- 
thing after that.” 

This, of course (about the Comtesse being a 
Eoumanian), Sadie Love learned later. But 
she declares that she sensed it all, in that first, 
swift glance which she gave the Comtesse. And 
I daresay that she did. IVe no doubt that she 
knew, then and there, everything that there was 
to know about the Comtesse. Women are like 


ENTEE THE COMTESSE 


29 


that. There was only one thing, she says, which 
puzzled her. The Comtesse was carrying some- 
thing, which looked like a picnic basket trans- 
formed into a work of art. It was all gilded, 
and it had pink bows on it, which exactly 
matched the Comtesse ’s costume. It had a cov- 
ered top, and it was closed, so Sadie couldnT 
see what was in it. She was to find out soon 
enough. 

exclaimed the Comtesse, effusively, 
as she started toward Sadie — and then she sud- 
denly became cognizant of the fioral decora- 
tions. You see, she and Sadie were in the draw- 
ing-room, where the wedding had taken place. 
Though that function had been a very quiet 
one, just Aunt Julia present (because a great- 
uncle had died, a week before, and left Sadie 
Love some money, and so, of course, she was 
in mourning), still, the house had been deco- 
rated, especially the drawing-room, which was 
more or less “a bower of roses, as the Society 
Editor would say. In fact, one could hardly 


30 


SADIE LOVE 


have come into that room without realizing that 
someone had just been married there, or was 
just going to be, for the old-fashioned chandelier 
had been transformed into a huge wedding-bell. 
The Comtesse, suddenly becoming aware of all 
this, gave another ‘‘Ah!^’ — ^hut this time it was 
a gasp, and she tacked Si Mon Dieu onto it. 

‘^Oh, Mademoiselle!’^ she exclaimed, turn- 
ing to Sadie, ‘^you do not marry yourself 
to-day ! ’ ’ 

^^Whatr’ said Sadie, a bit startled. 

^^Tout ca!^^ cried the Comtesse, frantically, 
indicating the flowers and the wedding-hell. 
‘‘Oh — Mademoiselle — ^you do not marry your- 
self today?” 

“If you mean,” replied Sadie, “am I going 
to he married today — I’m not going to be mar- 
ried! I — ” and she was about to say that she 
had been married, hut the Comtesse interrupted 
her. 

“Ah,” she ejaculated with evident relief, 

Dieu soit henil Sank Heaven, I am in time !” 


ENTER THE COMTESSE 31 

and she sank onto a chair. Sadie didn’t sink 
onto a chair. But then she was not filled with 
evident relief. 

‘‘In time,” demanded Sadie, blankly, “for 
what?” 

“To stop the marriage,” replied the Com- 
tesse. “It must be stop!” and she rose to her 
feet again. 

“What do you mean?” asked Sadie, who was 
beginning to feel decidedly queer. “It can’t be 
stopped. ’ ’ 

“Why not?” The Comtesse stared at her 
with manifest alarm. 

“I’m not going to be married today,” said 
Sadie, “I was married an hour ago.” 

“Oh!” cried the Comtesse, overcome, “I am 
too late!” She picked up her gilded basket, 
which she had set down on the table, and started 
to go. But Sadie interposed. 

“Too late?” she exclaimed, her eyes big with 
astonishment and indignation. “What do you 
mean? Why should you wish to stop my mar- 


32 


SADIE LOVE 


riager^ The Comtesse, without replying, 
started again for the door. ‘‘You canT come 
here, on my wedding day,’^ cried Sadie, “and 
say the things you have, and then go away with- 
out an explanation.’^ But the Comtesse was 
going, just the same. “Then you’ll force me 
to ask my husband.” Sadie started for the 
other door. The Comtesse gave a little cry. 

“Ah, non, nonV^ she exclaimed. “Don’ ask 
Luigi ! ’ ’ 

Sadie stopped short, and turned, a distinct 
point of fire in each lovely eye. 

“I will tell you,” went on the Comtesse, “eef 
you nfius^ know!” with tearful exasperation. 
Then, with a sudden revival of hopefulness, 
she started toward Sadie. “Perhaps, zen, you 
give him up?” 

“Give up — ^my husband?” exclaimed Sadie 
Love. The tone in which she said it would have 
made you believe that she had owned the Prince 
for at least ten years, and wanted to go on 
owning him for at least ten more I 


ENTER THE COMTESSE 


33 


‘‘Your ’usband/’ repeated the Comtesse, 
agitatedly. “Yes — ^your ’usband — ^but he be- 
long to me!^* 

“What!” gasped Sadie. 

*‘You know him,” continued the Comtesse, 
intensely, with increasing agitation, “tree — - 
four — five week ! I know him — ^before ze world 
began!” Then, as at that Sadie only stared 
at her, speechless with astonishment, the Com- 
tesse went on, emotionally, ‘ ‘ Ah, you do not un- 
derstan\ I meet him — ze first time — at Capri 
— eet ees a night of Avril. I look him in ze 
eyes, and zen — in one instant” — and she quiv- 
ered all over — “I know zat we are twin soul 
— zat we are meant for each ozzer, through all 
ze ages. He know it, too! We love — oh, 
madame — ^ow we love! We are fiancees. He 
give me — Zozo.” With that she opened the 
mysterious gilded basket, and a big Angora cat 
stuck its head out from the cover, for all the 
world like a Jack-in-the-box. The Angora was 
white and had on a pink bow which, like the rib- 


34 SADIE I.OVE 

bons on the basket, exactly matched the Com- 
tesse’s costume. 

‘^He gave you — ^that cat!^^ gasped Sadie. 
She stared at the cat, and the cat stared back 
at her, in precisely the same way — except, of 
course, that he had whiskers, which made him 
more impressive. He certainly seemed to im- 
press Sadie. She gazed at him as if she had 
never seen a cat before. But there was a rea- 
son. Somewhere in the house — probably stand- 
ing guard over the hand-luggage — there was, 
at that very moment, an Italian poodle, called 
Mikey — which was short for ‘‘Michelangelo.’^ 
Some people would have said that he was a 
French poodle, but, as Sadie Love pointed out, 
the Prince had given him to her, so he must be 
Italian. Because she had received him on the 
day that the Prince proposed to her, Sadie had 
always referred to Mikey as “a canine engage- 
ment ring.” And now, here was this cat — ^this 
big, white, beribboned, bewhiskered thing — and 
Luigi had given him to the Comtesse! Some- 


ENTER THE COMTESSE 


35 


how that seemed to put the stamp of verity upon 
everything that the Comtesse had said. One 
might have doubted her bare word, hut one 
couldn’t doubt Zozo. Not when he gazed at 
one and solemnly murmured; ‘‘Miaow I” For 
that is what he did, just then. Whereupon the 
Comtesse agitatedly pressed down the lid of 
the basket and Exhibit A disappeared from 
view. 

“All this,” Sadie Love indicated the cat 
basket, ‘ ‘ all this, I supose, happened some time 
since the world began. ’ ’ 

“Ah — oui, oui/^ replied the Comtesse emo- 
tionally. “I tell you — at Capri. An’ zen — we 
quarrel ! I tell him ‘ Go ! ’ I do not mean it, but 
he go. ‘Marise,’ he say, ‘eet is finish! You 
do not love me — ^but anozzer will.’ He go — to 
I’Amerique — he meet you — ^he propose — in a fit 
of pique — ” 

“That isn’t so!” interrupted Sadie, indig- 
nantly. 

“I wait an’ wait,” went on the Comtesse, not 


36 


SADIE LOVE 


heeding the interruption, ^^an’ zen — eet ees now 
four week — cable ‘Reviens^ — that ees ‘Come 
back/ He respond — ^he ees fiance. I cable 
‘Romps’ — ^that ees ‘Break eet.’ An’ zen he 
write me, oh, madam! he write, he know he 
have made a great mistake, but he cannot — wat 
you say — trow you over. He mus’ now, as an 
honorable man, marry himself wiz you.” The 
Comtesse sniffled becomingly. 

“He wrote that!” cried Sadie. 

la lettre/^ exclaimed the Comtesse. 
She set down the Zozo-basket once more and 
started to produce the letter from a handbag. 
It must be confessed Sadie Love promptly 
stretched forth her hand to receive the missive. 
But she drew her hand back again as quickly as 
she had advanced it. 

“No,” she said, “I don’t want it! What 
else could he write? If he — pardon me for sug- 
gesting it — no longer cared for you — he couldn’t 
say it, in so many words. ’ ’ 

She spoke as if she were trying to convince 


ENTER THE COMTESSE 


37 


the Gomtesse. But it was Sadie Love that 
Sadie was trying to convince. 

Just then the door from the library opened 
and the Prince came in. 


CHAPTEE in 

GO TO RENO I 

The Prince was young — ^twenty-eight, or there- 
abouts — and extremely good looking. (When 
I tell you he was rich, into the bargain, and 
hadnT married Sadie for her money, you will 
think that this is a fairy tale, hut it isn’t.) He 
was tall, and dark, and slim, with clear-cut fea- 
tures, and a head that was quite Eoman, and 
a nose that wasn’t. As for his eyes, they might 
have come straight from some immortal canvas 
of Guido Eeni. 

Bio gasped the Prince, as he caught sight 
of the Comtesse. She, too, gave vent to a stifled 
exclamation of surprise and alarm as she per- 
ceived him. But, after a moment, she pulled 
herself together, and remarked, collectedly 
enough ; 



“Dio!” gasped the Prince 





tH 1 




• - -. 7 - 


• • - 
3 


.« 1'. 


IS' ■'«*“ * 





.i ♦ 


♦ ■>- - ■' • •■W* 

■■ •. -■* 

ft 4- L- t * * 




H r p 


■V.UX'i 



<^m 


■ -CJILI 


: - Vi*''- Sv, ^ ■^• 





GO TO EENO! 


39 


'‘^C^est une surprise — ^Prince/ ^ 

‘‘The cat,’^ thought Sadie Love, indignantly 
• — (no — she did not mean the one in the basket). 
“The cat — calling him ‘Prince^ — as if I didn’t 
hnow that she calls him Luigi ! ’ ’ 

“Comtesse,” said the Prince, “it is indeed 
a surprise.” (The Prince’s mother had been 
an American, and he spoke English very well, 
with only a touch of accent.) He went to the 
Comtesse, and, taking her hand, kissed it, in 
the foreign fashion. Sadie Love knew perfectly 
well that it was the foreign fashion, and she 
had never minded in the least when he had done 
it to anyone else — in fact, she had rather liked 
it. But now she felt murderous. 

“The cat,” she thought — and again she 
didn’t mean the one in the basket — “and he’s 
kissing her paw ! ’ ’ 

The Comtesse murmured something to the 
Prince about having come over from Europe 
very unexpectedly, and that as she was in New 
York and it was so very near she had run 


40 


SADIE LOVE 


down to congratulate. The Prince, knowing 
very well that she had run down for nothing 
of the sort, and feeling as if he were walking 
on eggs (full of dynamite), thanked her, and 
said he was so glad, and smiled, and smiled — 
^‘and was a villain still.’’ (It was Sadie Love, 
watching him, who completed the quotation.) 
Then the Comtesse, who also was aware of the 
eggs under the drawing-room carpet, and who, 
doubtless, suspected the dynamite, made a move 
to go. 

‘‘Adieu, Princesse,” she said. Sadie Love, 
thus addressed, felt her cheeks pull hard, as if 
the skin would crack, as she grimaced a 
response. 

“Adieu, Prince,” murmured the Comtesse, 
giving the Prince her hand. As she did so she 
raised the cat-basket with her other hand. 
“Zozo,” she murmured emotionally, “he nevair 
leave me.” 

The Prince started, a bit, then he bent down 
and kissed her hand again. That was all — at 


GO TO EENO! 


41 


least it looked as if it were going to be all. 
The Prince and the Comtesse tbongbt it was 
going to be all. I may even say that at that 
delicate moment (considering the eggs and 
everything) they hoped it would be all. As 
for what Sadie Love thought or hoped, just 
then, I really don’t know, for she couldn’t have 
told, herself. But just as the Comtesse reached 
the door Sadie suddenly made up her mind, 
and then she did know what she thought. 

‘^Comtesse,” she said, ‘^just a moment.” 
The Comtesse halted, but she looked as if ‘‘just 
a moment” were the last thing in the world that 
she wished to grant. “Before you go,” said 
Sadie Love, “we’d better all — ^understand each 
other.” The Comtesse, however, did not seem 
to share in that desire. She started to mur- 
mur an objection, but Sadie Love went on — 
turning now, however, to the Prince : ‘ ‘ Luigi — 
the Comtesse has come all the way to America, 
to tell me that she and you are — twin souls — 
that she knew you — ^before the world began 


42 


SADIE LOVE 


— and that, at some time between that remote 
period and the present, you became engaged. ’ ^ 

‘‘Yes,’’ said the Prince, uncomfortably, “so 
it was. ’ ’ 

“She says,” went on Sadie, “that you quar- 
reled, and that then you came to America, met 
me, and proposed to me — simply in a fit of 
pique — that you married me to get even with 
her! Is it true?” 

“Ah, no, Sadie — ^no!” protested the Prince. 
“I liked you.” And then, realizing his mis- 
take, he hastily corrected: “I loved you, I 
mean I ’ ’ 

“You mean,” said Sadie Love, drawing her- 
self up, “that you liked me and loved — ^her? 
Tell me the truth ! Did you marry me because 
you felt that you had to — though it was the 
Comtesse for whom you really cared?” 

“No,” said the Prince, but he said it with- 
out conviction. 

“You’re not telling the truth,” cried Sadie 
Love. “If you are, why did you write her. 


GO TO RENO! 


43 


when she cabled yon, and tell her that you’d 
made a terrible mistake — but that you couldn’t 
back out — that you were in honor bound to 
marry me?” 

^‘Oh, Marise!” The Prince, visibly shocked, 
turned to the Comtesse. 

‘‘I deed not want to tell,” the Comtesse de- 
fended herself, tearfully. “She make me!” 

“Don’t blame her!” cried Sadie Love, turn- 
ing upon the Prince, “and don’t think I’ll break 
my heart. I hadn’t been married to you ten 
minutes before I was wondering how I’d get rid 
of you.” 

“Sadie!” The Prince stared at her, aghast. 

“And if I — if I feel like crying — it’s because 
I’m angry, that’s all. What did you mean by 
telling me you loved me — ^by marrying me? 
When she cabled you, why didn’t you come to 
me and tell me the truth? Wliy don’t you tell 
it now, instead of — ” 

“I will tell the truth,” the Prince interrupted, 
desperately. “It is true that I loved Marise. 


44 


SADIE LOVE 


When she send me away — my heart — it break.-’ ’ 

‘‘And you brought me the pieces,” said Sadie 
Love. “Thank you.” 

“No, no, Sadie. You help me to forget. You 
quiet my pain. ’ ’ 

‘ ‘ I see ! ’ ’ exclaimed Sadie, in a rage. ‘ ‘ I was 
your anesthetic ! ’ ’ 

“When Marise cabled me to come back I say 
‘No, I have given my word to Sadie. I keep 
my word.’ ” The Prince, as he said it, drew 
himself up and looked heroic. 

“But if you hadn’t given your word,” Sadie 
confronted him, “if you’d been free, you’d have 
gone back to her — you’d have married her? I 
want the truth. ’ ’ 

“I tell you the truth,” protested the Prince. 
“If I had been free, yes — I would have gone 
back — I would have marry Marise — ^but I was 
not free ! I write her, ‘ It is too late. Between 
you and me, Marise, it is now to an end. ’ ’ ’ 

“Luigi!” The Comtesse was suppressedly 
hysterical, “I am in your life — ^no more?” 


GO TO RENO! 


45 


^^Out of my life, Marise, you must go,’^ — 
the Prince was waxing nobly emotional — ^^but 
out of my memory — never! You shall be for 
me — always — the romance unfulfill — the sweet 
regret, which does not die. ^ ’ 

Oh, Mon Dieu! C^est trop!*^ cried the Com- 
tesse, and she began to weep beautifully. It 
was spoiling her complexion a hit, but she 
couldn’t help it. 

While you, Sadie,” went on the Prince, with 
evident relish, ‘^you, Sadie, shall be to me — 
the romanza fulfill — the good companion — the 
good wife — the good mother. ’ ’ 

‘‘I don’t want to be your good wife,” Sadie 
turned upon him, with indignant wrath. ‘‘I 
don’t want to be your good mother. I don’t 
want to be your good anything! And don’t 
imagine that I’m going to come between you 
and any — ^unfulfilled romanza. Go ahead. Ful- 
fill it!” 

Sadie!” The Prince stared at her, aghast. 
‘^You forget — we are married.” 


46 


SADIE LOVE 


‘‘That’s just what I intend to do,” retorted 
Sadie Love, ‘ ‘ forget it. ’ ’ 

“You divorce him?” asked the Comtesse, 
with glad surprise. 

“I certainly shall,” said Sadie with energy. 

“Ah — ma cherie!” The Comtesse plumped 
the Zozo basket down on the table, and made 
straight for Sadie with the manifest intention 
of embracing her. But Sadie saw her coming. 
The Comtesse, though, did get hold of Sadie’s 
hands, and pressed them to her own heaving 
breast (Sadie declares that it wasn’t heaving 
a bit, and that the Comtesse has no heart-beat 
at all, and that if she has, it’s way under nor- 
mal, and — howQYQ^rl To get back to the Com- 
tesse.) “Ah, ma cherie/^ she repeated, grate- 
fully, and then she exclaimed, “Go to Eeno. 
Eet ees beautiful in Reno. I got one divorce 
zere.” 

“One?” The Prince looked astonished. He 
had not, it seems, been aware that there had 
been more than one. 


GO TO RENO! 


47 


‘‘Ah — oui, oui/^ replied the Comtesse. “My 
first ’ushand, he was an American — Meestair 
Bolton. He teach me to divorce. I have never 
tell yon, Lnigi, zat I ^ave two ’nshand? Ah — ■ 
mon Dieu/* and she waved the question aside. 
-“Zat firs^ marriage, eet did not mattair. Eet 
was so short. 

“Not so short, said Sadie, with determina- 
tion, “as this one^s going to be.’^ 

The Prince, at that, looked positively 
appalled. 

“My family,’’ he protested, “the Pallavicini 
— they never have a divorce ! ’ ’ 

“Well,” retorted Sadie, “it’s time they 
began.” 

“We mns’ find a ground!” cried the Com- 
tesse, happily excited, and then, being a lady 
of experience, she immediately discovered 
what she was looking for. “I ’ave eet!” 
she exclaimed, triumphantly, “Incompatibil- 
itay !” 

‘ ‘ I never did ! ’ ’ The Prince drew himself up 


48 


SADIE LOVE 


indignantly. ‘‘I know not what it is, but I 
never didl^^ But the Comtesse paid no atten- 
tion. She turned eagerly to Sadie ; 

‘‘Start for Eeno to-morrow — non — ^to-day! 
That ees your — go-away gownT’ 

“And I can go away in it? I see. Well, I 
won’t do it!” Sadie Love sat down, with a 
‘ ‘ here-I-am-and-here-I-stay ’ ’ expression. ‘ ‘ If 
you think I’m going to pack otf to Reno — ” 
“Eef the long voyage to Eeno ees too en- 
nuyant/^ interrupted the Comtesse, who seemed 
resourceful, to say the least, “stay at ’ome — 
and Luigi shall desert you. ’ ’ This idea seemed 
to appeal to her, for she turned to the Prince 
and commanded him, energetically, “Desert her 
today!” 

The Prince was about to enter a protest, but 
Sadie gave him no chance. In fact, from that 
point on the Prince kept on trying to enter a 
protest, and the Comtesse and Sadie kept on 
not giving him a chance. 

“Desert me — on my wedding day?” ex- 


GO TO EENOl 


49 


claimed Sadie, indignantly, and she rose, as 
she said it. ‘‘What would people think? No I 
I^m willing to get a divorce — I demand a di- 
vorce — in due time. But — ’’ 

“Wat you mean — due time?’’ interrupted the 
Comtesse suspiciously. 

“Why,” said Sadie, “six months or so.” 

“Six mont’?” cried the Comtesse, aghast. 
“I cannot wait six mont’. I will not wait six 
mont’.” 

“Very well — take him without a divorce.” 

“Oh I” gasped the Comtesse, horrified. 

“That — or wait till I’m ready. I won’t have 
a scandal.” 

“But — ” The Comtesse by this time was 
quite weak with astonishment, “will you tell me, 
please — ^wat you intend to do?” 

“Why — ” Sadie was on the defensive now, 
“live with him — for half a year or so — and 
then — ” 

“Lwe wiz him?” The Conitesse threw up 
her hands in ex5)ressive horror. 


50 


SADIE LOVE 


Ostensibly/* said Sadie, Lauglitily. ^^Then 
ril desert him. If there’s any deserting done, 
Vm going to do it.” 

‘^I do not care,” replied the Comtesse with 
decision, ^‘who desert who — ^bnt you cannot live 
togezzer ! ’ ’ 

^‘Pardon me,” remarked Sadie, ^‘hut, after 
all, you know, this is my divorce. We will go 
on our honeymoon, as if nothing had hap- 
pened — ” 

^^On your ’oneymoon?” cried the Comtesse. 
If she had been shocked before, she was scan- 
dalized now. 

^‘It will, of course,” replied Sadie, and she 
became haughtier than ever, ‘‘be simply an os- 
tensible honeymoon ! ’ ’ 

“Ostensible?” queried the Prince blankly. 

“A — a honeymoon that isn’t,” said Sadie 
Love. 

The Comtesse drew herself up. “I will not 
consent to a ’oneymooni” she declared with 
epiphasis. 


GO TO EENOI 


51 


‘‘Not even/^ queried Sadie, with caustic for- 
bearance, “an ostensible honeymoon T’ 

“I do not believe,” retorted the Comtesse, 
“in an ostensible ’oneymoon. I nevair ’ear of 
such a sing.” 

“But,” protested Sadie, “if I give you my 
word — if I solemnly promise you? If we both 
promise you?” 

“I would trust no man,” replied the Com- 
tesse with decision, “upon a — ostensible ’oney- 
moon.” 

“Perhaps,” queried Sadie sarcastically — she 
had about reached the limit of her endurance — 
“perhaps you’d like to come with us?” 

“I would I” replied the Comtesse with 
prompt decision. 

“What?” Sadie gazed at her, dumfounded, 

‘ ‘ Wy not ? ’ ’ asked the Comtesse. 

“You want to — come on my honeymoon?” 
Sadie Love could not believe her ears. 

“Eef eet ees only an — ostensible ’oneymoon 
— ^wy not?” asked the Comtesse. 


52 


SADIE LOVE 


personally, of course, said Sadie, with 
wrathful irony, ‘‘I’d be delighted.” 

“But — ^Marise!” protested the Prince, who 
looked as if all the eggs and the dynamite had 
exploded under his feet, and as if the sky were 
rocking above his head. 

“Luigi!” said the Comtesse, emotionally, 
“don’t you want me to go on your ’oney- 
moonP’ 

‘ ‘ Oh, ’ ’ replied the Prince, who was always the 
soul of politeness, “I would be charmed, 
but—” 

“That settles it!” interrupted Sadie Love, 
in a rage, and then, turning to the Comtesse, 
“Very well. You shall go with us. We leave 
for New York this afternoon. We sail to-night 
at one o’clock, on the 8mt^ Anna, of the Italian 
Lloyd.” 

“To-night — at one — the 8anV Arma/^ re- 
peated the Comtesse, happily surprised, “but I 
also have reservation — on zat very boat. Mon 
Dieu, eet ees fate!” 


GO TO RENO I 


53 


‘^It is impossible cried the Prince, desper- 
ately, ‘‘I cannot go home with two wifeT’ 
‘^Not even if one of them is — prehistoricr^ 
and Sadie Love indicated the Comtesse. 

‘‘Prehistoriquer’ exclaimed the Comtesse, 
outraged. Sadie Love had not been aware that 
the word existed in French, but she didn’t care 
if it did. 

‘‘Before the world began,” she explained, 
bnt the Comtesse did not look as if the explana- 
tion entirely satisfied. Indeed, she seemed very 
much ruffled, and she turned quite fiercely upon 
the Prince, who was starting to object. 

“Keep still, Luigi. We settle thees.” 

“Ah, Dm/” cried the Prince. “It is my 
honeymoon also!” 

“Oh, no!” said Sadie Love. “Tou’re sim- 
ply being taken along 1 ’ ’ 

“You will not mind,” the Comtesse turned 
to Sadie, “eef I take Zozof” 

“7 won’t mind,” replied Sadie — then she 
added, with satisfaction, “but Mikey may.” 


54 


SADIE LOVE 


‘‘Mikeyr’ said the Comtesse, blankly. 

‘‘My dog,’’ explained Sadie Love, “he’s com- 
ing with ns. A gift from — ” and she indi- 
cated the Prince, who was looking frightfully 
guilty, ‘ ‘ Luigi ! ’ ’ she went on. “ Y on must have 
a whole menagerie. Have you a monkey? I’ve 
always wanted a monkey.” 

The Comtesse was disturbed. 

“Zozo,” she explained, “does not like ze 
dog.” 

“Mikey,” replied Sadie, “does not like the 
cat.” 

**Vous comprenez, Princesse/^ the Comtesse 
appealed to her, “I nevair leave Zozo.” 

“I understand perfectly,” replied Sadie, 
“because I never leave Mikey!” 

“You give up your husband!” the Prince 
turned wrathfully upon her, “but not Mikey!” 

“That’s quite different,” said Sadie. 
“Mikey has no twin soul.” 

Just then Mrs. Warrington, who simply had 
to know what was going on, came into the draw- 


GO TO EENO! 


55 


ing-room. And who should follow her in but 
Mikey himself. He was an extraordinary- 
looking beasty, was Mikey — ^large of his kind 
and very white, of course, and very woolly in 
spots, for he was marvelously shaven. Islets 
of wool dotted his surface and formed neat geo- 
metric designs upon him. He stood high up on 
rather stiffly held legs, each with its ringlet and 
furbelow of wool. He wore with dignity a 
number of blue-ribbon bow-knots, which per- 
fectly matched Sadie’s going-away gown. 

The Comtesse, upon perceiving Mikey, gave 
a little cry of alarm and clutched the Zozo- 
basket to her bosom. Zozo miaowed faintly. 
Mikey pricked up his ears and looked excitedly 
around. Mrs. Warrington’s ears remained in 
their customary position, but she looked around, 
too; and then Sadie presented the Comtesse. 
The Prince during this ceremony looked as if 
he expected the eggs and the dynamite to ex- 
plode all over again. The Comtesse, what with 
Zozo and Mikey and the rest of it, didn’t look 


56 


SADIE LOVE 


any too mucli at ease, either. As for Aunt 
Julia, she fairly radiated disturbed inquiry. An 
explanation of what was in the wicker basket 
did not seem to satisfy her. Indeed, she looked 
more puzzled and anxious than ever. Nor did 
it seem to clear the atmosphere perceptibly 
when Sadie Love remarked, ‘‘The Comtesse, 
Aunt Julia, has come on a charitable mission. 
She’s endeavoring to find a home — for a pre- 
historic wife.” 

“Oh I” said Mrs. Warrington blankly. 
“That’s somethtug quite new — isn’t itT^ 

It was at this point that Edward entered with 
another card. He gave it to Sadie. She 
glanced at it and her face lit up. There was 
no mistake this time. She turned to Edward. 

“Ask Mr. Wakeley to come in,” she said 
triumphantly. 


CHAPTEE IV 

JIM— rBUT NO LILACS I 

When Edward had gone out there was a mo- 
ment’s pause. Sadie Love stood very erect, her 
head up, her eyes sparkling, her breath com- 
ing a little faster. Aunt Julia stood as if she 
couldn’t stand erect much longer, and her head 
looked as if it expected to he taken off and as 
if the gentleman who was to remove it had 
just been announced. As for her breath, it 
didn’t come faster or slower or anything. It 
just stopped — ^for a full minute. Anyone with 
half an eye could have seen from the aspect 
of Aunt Julia and Sadie that there was some- 
thing in the air. The Prince, who had two eyes, 
both in excellent order, was not slow to perceive 
that the unusual was approaching. 

‘‘Who,” he demanded, “is Mr. Wakeley?” 

“I met him at Nice — a year ago,” replied, 
67 


58 


SADIE DOVE 


Sadie, speaking raptly, and looking straight 
before her, as if she were seeing a vision, ^‘slim 
and eager and handsome — ^with white lilacs in 
his hands.’’ The Prince stared. 

‘‘Mr. Wakeley,” announced Edward. 

And then Jimmy Wakeley bounced in. At 
least that is what Sadie Love maintains that 
he did. Jim himself declares that he entered in 
his usual manner, but Sadie will have it that he 
bounced. And Sadie ought to know. She was 
standing there, looking at him, and when she 
saw him come in, her eyes certainly got bigger 
than ever and quite round with wonder. 

“Sadie — Love!” cried Jimmy, and he made 
straight for her, his hands outstretched, his face 
aglow. Sadie kept staring at him with the same 
blank amazement. It was not till he had seized 
her hands and was shaking them fervently that 
she managed to rally her wits and galvanized 
her face into a fixed smile. “And Mrs. War- 
rington I” Jim turned to her. Mrs. Warring- 
ton’s smile as she greeted him was also of the 


JIM-~BUT NO LILACS! 


59 


fixed variety, but she bore up very presentably, 
everything considered, and managed to get 
through the presentations of the Comtesse and 
the Prince. Jim, this performance over, turned 
again to Sadie Love. She was gazing at him 
with undiminished blank amazement. 

‘‘Yes,’’ acknowledged Jim, a bit ruefully, in 
answer to her expression, “I know,” and he 
glanced himself over, “I’ve got plump.” He 
had — there was no use denying it — he had got 
plump. It was astonishing. Only a little more 
than a year had elapsed — ^to be exact, a year 
and four months — since Sadie had seen him last 
at Nice, “slim and eager and handsome — ^with 
white lilacs in his hands.” And now, though 
he was still undeniably handsome — even if he 
didn’t have any white lilacs in his hands — and 
^ though he was, presumably, still eager — ^he was 
slim no longer. Jimmy Wakeley — ^breezy, 
buoyant, boyish Jimmy Wakeley — ^had gone the 
way of flesh. He stood there and blushed about 
it — Jimmy always did blush on the slightest 


60 


SADIE LOVE 


provocation. He smiled and crimsoned to the 
roots of his wavy blond hair, and Sadie tried 
to smile, and didn’t feel at all like crimsoning. 
In fact, she felt a trifle pale. And then Jim, 
noting the flowers all aronnd the room (hut not 
struck yet by the floral bell), asked: 

‘^What have I blundered into? A recep- 
tion?” 

‘^No, Jim,” said Sadie, ‘^you’ve blundered 
into a wedding.” 

‘^A wedding?” Jim looked blank as he re- 
peated it, but he was nowhere near guessing 
the truth. ^ ^ Whose wedding ? ’ ’ 

‘‘It happens — ^to be mine,” said Sadie Love. 

“And the Prince,” added Aunt Julia, whose 
breath had just come back to her, “happens to 
be Sadie’s husband.” And she glared at Jim, 
as if he had been a young Lochinvar come out 
of the West. But Jim did not notice her ex- 
pression. He was too busy trying to manufac- 
ture an expression of his own. In the first mo- 


JIM-^BUT NQ LILACS I 


61 


menf of the annonncement his countenance had 
played a traitorous trick upon him. Amaze- 
ment, disappointment, chagrin, had blazoned 
themselves all too plainly there. And then self- 
possession and pride and social convention had 
Come to the rescue, and he had hastily forced 
his features into a more presentable mask and 
had donned his own particular variety of fixed 
smile. 

‘‘Well!’’ he exclaimed, and the effort with 
which he pulled himself together was as percep- 
tible as if he had been performing gymnastics. 
“Congratulations.” And he began shaking 
hands with everybody, and wound up by asking 
the Comtesse if she had been bridesmaid. The 
Comtesse seemed dreadfully shocked at this, 
whereupon Aunt Julia, who always did say 
the wrong thing at the right moment, started 
to explain that the Comtesse had called on a 
charitable mission. 

“She’s trying to find a home for — an hys- 


62 


SADIE LOVE 


terical wife, was itT’ turning helplessly to 
Sadie. ^‘No, no I Not hysterical, of course. 
What kind of wife was itT^ 

‘‘Antediluvian,’’ said Sadie Love. 

Jim started to explain, then, how it was that 
he hadn’t known about Sadie’s being married. 
He had, it appeared, returned from Europe only 
a few hours before; had, in fact, rushed straight 
down here from New York the moment he 
docked. The Prince, hearing that, looked dis- 
tinctly suspicious. Jim, observing this, tried to 
fix things up, and only succeeded in making 
them worse by patently contrived explanations 
of how he was coming down onto Long Island, 
anyhow, and how he thought he simply must 
stop at Williamstown and call on Mrs. War- 
rington, because they had not seen each other 
for so long and were such great friends (Mrs. 
Warrington looking, at the moment, divided 
between a fear of Jim’s biting her and a de- 
sire to bite him). Jim, conscious that he was 
fioundering more and more obviously, tried a 


JIM— BUT NO LILACS! 


63 


new tack. ‘‘And to tHnk/^ he exclaimed, with 
an attempt at jocularity, “that you never in- 
vited me to your old wedding.’’ 

“We didn’t invite anyone, Jim,” said Sadie. 
“There were no guests, no wedding breakfast 
• — no anything. But the cook insisted upon a 
cake. You shall have a piece. ’ ’ 

“Put it under my pillow, don’t I?” asked 
Jim. “And then I dream.” 

“Eat it,” replied Sadie Love, “and you’re 
sure to dream. Do sit down, Jim.” Jim did 
sit down, and almost sat on Mikey, who had 
got up on a chair. Mikey was too taken by 
surprise to protest, but Sadie wasn’t. She 
screamed, and Jim stopped short in a half- 
sitting position, and Mikey was saved. 

“He was given to Sadie by the Prince,” said 
Mrs. Warrington impressively, taking Mikey 
under her protection and glaring at Jim. 

“He’s going on my honeymoon,” added 
Sadie, and she looked defiantly at the Zozo- 
basket. 


64 


SADIE LOVE 


wouldn^t have if I’d sat on him,” re- 
plied Jim, choosing another chair. Then he 
added, ^‘I must say — it’s the first time I ever 
heard of a dog’s gomg on a honeymoon.” 

‘^But, Jim,” protested Sadie, ‘‘it isn’t as if 
he were going on his own honeymoon. That, 
of course, might excite comment.” 

Aunt Julia, feeling vaguely comforted by this 
patter of small talk, and convinced, somehow, 
that Sadie was giving up her outrageous ideas, 
rang for tea. Though, for that matter, if she 
had known that Sadie were planning to blow 
up the house the very next moment, Mrs. War- 
rington would have rung for tea just the same. 
One has to hold on to something! Edward 
responded with austere promptness to the sum- 
mons and brought with him portentous mes- 
sages, which took Mrs. Warrington, rustling 
agitatedly, out of the room. (Two reporters 
were in the hall and they had to be faced.) 
Mikey accompanied her — still trying to locate 
where the “miaows” came from. 


JIM— BUT NO LILACS! 


65 


The enemy departed, the Comtesse let Zozo 
poke his head out for a breath of fresh air and 
to meet Jim, who didn’t like cats, but who tried 
to act as if he did. He may have deceived the 
humans, but Zozo knew. It occurred, at this 
moment, to the Comtesse that she ought to tele- 
phone to New York to her maid to give her 
some final instructions about packing. So the 
Comtesse went into the library, with the Prince 
accompanying to show her where the telephone 
was. And Sadie and Jim were left alone in the 
drawing-room, with the flowers and the wed- 
ding bell — and their fate. 

Sadie had risen when the others went out and 
so, of course, had Jim. They stood now, look- 
ing at one another, in silence. Sadie was the 
first to speak. 

‘‘Oh, Jim — ^why did you do it?’’ 

“What?” 

“Get — ^plump.” 

“Why did you do it?” 

“What?” 


6G 


SADIE LOVE 


‘^Get married.’’ 

‘‘I had to get married some time,” said Sadie 
Love, ^^but — oh — Jim — ^you didn’t have to — do 
what you did.” And she sat down and gazed 
at him reproachfully. 

‘^You don’t suppose,” replied Jim, a bit re- 
sentfully, ‘‘that I did it on purpose?” and he 
sat down, too, and gazed at Sadie Love and 
tried to look reproachful, but didn’t succeed 
very well. You see, he had a guilty conscience. 
He hadn’t got plump on purpose, but still he 
had done nothiag to prevent it. 

“It isn’t,” said Sadie Love, feeling that she 
had been a bit severe, “that I don’t like — plump 
people. I was almost in love once with a man 
who was quite — plump. But he was — plump — ^ 
when I met him.” 

“Can’t you — ^plump me up a bit in your 
memory?” asked Jim hopefully. 

“I can’t,” replied Sadie despairingly, “that’s 
just it. I had that image of you — ^the way I 
gaw you that last day at Nice — slim and eager 


JIM— BUT NO LILACS I 67 

and Landsome — ^witL white lilacs in your 
hands.” 

‘‘I could buy some white lilacs,” suggested 
Jim. 

^‘But, somehow— I’m awfully glad to see 
you,” said Sadie Love, ^‘though I didn’t ex- 
pect to see quite so much of you. ’ ’ 

‘‘I’ll begin reducing to-morrow,” declared 
Jim earnestly. 

“That’s the trouble,” sighed Sadie Love. 
“People always begin reducing to-morrow. 
The time to begin is yesterday.” 

“Well,” said Jim, “anyhow — ^if I gave you 
a surprise, you certainly gave me one.” He 
paused a moment and then, gazing at her, as 
if he still could scarcely believe it, “Mar- 
ried!” 

“You deserved a surprise,” said Sadie 
Love. 

“You mean for leaving Nice the way I did — 
for not writing you all this time? Sadie — 
there was a very good reason for that — and 


68 


SADIE LOVE 


there was a very good reason for my rushing 
here to-day, the moment I landed. What those 
reasons were it doesn’t do much good to ex- 
plain, now — ’’ 

‘‘I wouldn’t be so sure,” interrupted Sadie 
Love. 

“No,” said Jim, shaking his head and glanc- 
ing at the wedding decorations, “it wouldn’t 
do any good — now. But you and I were such 
• — good friends at Nice — ” (“Good friends,” 
thought Sadie, “the man made violent love to 
me”) “we were such good friends,” went on 
Jim, “that I don’t want you to keep a wrong 
impression of me — or of my feeling for you. 
I want you to believe that there was a good — 
an imperative reason — for my — apparent neg- 
lect — and I want you to know this,” and he 
leaned toward her across the little table, “if 
you ever need a friend — I’d do anything for 
you.” He paused. His eyes were down and so 
were Sadie’s. After a moment he added: “I 
hope you’ll be — awfully happy.” 


JIM— BUT NO LILACS! 


69 


Thank you, Jimmy,” said Sadie Love, and 
there were tears in her voice, ‘‘but I won^t.” 

“What!” exclaimed Jim, and his eyes came 
up in a hurry and opened to their widest. » He 
did not think that Sadie could be in earnest, 
but when he saw her face he knew that she was. 

“The Comtesse,” said Sadie, unsteadily, 
“you saw her — ” 

“Who is she?” 

“I don’t know exactly — ^but I’ll have plenty 
of time to find out. She’s coming on my honey- 
moon!” She got up as she said it. 

‘ ‘ What 1 ’ ’ And, you may be sure, Jim got up, 
too. 

“They’re both coming — both cats. I 
wouldn’t mind the Angora. You can put her 
in a basket.” 

“Sadie — ^you don’t mean — 

“That’s exactly what I do mean. She’s my 
husband’s twin soul — she knew him before the 
world began — and she’s coming on my honey- 
moon!” 


70 


SADIE LOVE 


^ ^ Good Lord ! ’ ’ Jim was fairly gasping now. 
‘ ^ Coming on yonr honeymoon 1 What for 1 ’ ’ 
^‘So it won^t be Si honeymoon.’^ 

‘‘OhJ’ said Jim weakly. never heard 
of such—” words failed him. 

^‘Two women — on one honeymoon! Theydl 
think he^s Brigham Young.” And Sadie Love 
sat down again, laughing hysterically. 

^^And you — consented?” 

‘‘Yes,” said Sadie, staring before her, her 
hands clenched, “I consented. Do you think 
I’d let them see that I care? Not that I do 
care. I’ll go through with it if it kills me. 
It will kill me — ^tete-a-tete with them day in and 
day out — ^I alone, and they--” she stopped 
short and gave a sort of a gasp. And no won- 
der. It was then that she got her great idea. 
Sadie to this day protests that there was noth- 
ing remarkable about it, and that the only 
strange thing was that she didn’t think of it 
before. Well, anyway, she did think of it now, 
and it made her start so and caused her eyes 


JIM-^BUT m LILACS I 71 

to flash open so wide that Jim was more dis- 
turbed than ever. 

‘‘Sadie/’ he demanded agitatedly, “what’s 
the matter?” 

“Jim,” said Sadie hushedly. She rose 
slowly, trying to be calm, but he could see that 
she was quivering with suppressed excitement. 
“Jim — ” her voice was almost a cry now, and 
she took a step toward him and clutched him, 
“you’ve got to do it!” 

“Do what?” asked Jim, blank, but appre- 
hensive. 

“Come mth usT^ 

‘ ‘ Good Lord ! ’ ’ And then, as Sadie ’s grip on 
his arm tightened and she gazed up at him, 
her violet eyes wide with excitement, “You 
don’t mean — go with you— on your honey- 
moon?” 

**8he*s going with him! Why can’t you go 
with me?^' 

‘ ‘ Oh, good Lord, Sadie ! I couldn’t do that.” 

“Whynot?’^ 


72 


SADIE LOVE 


‘‘Wliy, I — wouldn’t know Low to bekave!” 

^ ‘ We won H behave ! ’ ’ exclaimed Sadie. ^ ‘ Jim 
— you must do it I You’re my only hope!” 

‘‘You’ll have to get another hope,” said Jim 
weakly, but with decision. 

“And you call yourself my friend.” Sadie, 
releasing him, stood off from him and surveyed 
him with wrathful scorn. 

“Good heavens, Sadie I I don’t go on my 
friends’ honeymoons!” 

“It’s the only favor I’ll ever ask of you.” 
Sadie came up to him again, “I’U leave you 
alone — all the rest of your life.” 

“I don’t want to be left alone all the rest 
of my life.” 

“Then I won’t leave you alone.” She was 
very near him now, and her tone was pleading 
and her eyes, as she gazed up at him, were melt- 
ing. Jim, feeling himself giving way, took a 
firm stand as his only salvation. 

“I can’t do it, Sadie — I simply can’t.” 

“You can’t?” Sadie drew off from him 


JIM— BUT NO LILACS I 


73 


again, ^‘In spite of what you said a few min- 
utes ago — ^that if I ever needed a friend — ^you’d 
do anything for me? This is when I do need a 
friend, if I ever will. But you wonT help me. 
Very well — I’ll go through with this — alone.” 
She turned away with a catch in her voice — 
which was just where she wanted it to he. Then 
she sank onto a couch and said, unsteadily, ‘‘I 
might as well get used to being — alone,” this 
with a sob. That settled Jim — ^which was just 
what Sadie wanted it to do. 

‘‘Oh, damn it,” he said, “I’ll go I” Where- 
upon Sadie’s tears went, too, with miraculous 
dispatch, and she sprang to her feet and seized 
Jim’s hands, and he thought she was going to 
kiss him, but she didn’t. 

“Oh — Jim — ^you dear!” she cried, gazing 
gratefully up at him, her eyes moist, but shin- 
ing. “You’ve saved me. And we’ll save him. 
We’ve got to save him — from that woman!” 
Then, as Jim at this looked suddenly blank, 
“Not that I want him. Don’t for a moment 


!74 SADIE LOVE 

think that. But she shan’t have him. She 
won’t make him happy. She may have a twin 
soul, but she hasn’t a soul of her own. She’s a 
heartless, soulless, man-eating cat.” 

‘‘I foresee a pleasant trip!” said Jim. 

“It’s our duty to save him,” Sadie pointed 
out energetically. “He’s my husband.” 
“He’s not my husband!” protested Jim. 
“And when he finds out what she really is,” 
went on Sadie, “when he comes back to me — 
when he says — ^ Sadie — I’ve made a mistake — 
it’s you I love!’ Then — then — ” 

“Well — ^what then?” 

“Then I’ll say — Ht’s too late. I’m going 
to marry — someone else.’ ” 

“Good Lord!” said Jim, and he looked as if 
this final shock would prove fatal. ‘ ‘ Whom ? ’ ’ 
“Why — ^you, of course,” replied Sadie, sur- 
prised, apparently, that he should put such 
a question. Then she suddenly remembered 
something: “Oh!” she gasped, “good heavens! 
I forgot. You haven’t asked me.” 


JIM— BUT NO LILACS! 


75 


said Jim, beginning to recover, 
that’s all that worries you — ” But just then 
the Comtesse came back into the room from the 
library, with the Prince following her. At 
the same moment Edward came in with tea. 

‘‘You needn’t wait, Edward,” said Sadie 
Love. 

Edward bowed submissively and, having 
placed the tea-wagon, withdrew. 

It was well that he did. 


CHAPTER V 

MUCH TOO much! 

‘^Eet ees good!’’ exclaimed the Comtesse, hap- 
pily excited, ’ave reach my maid.” 

^^How nice,” said Sadie Love, Jim — ^hadn’t 
you better ’phone your valet?” 

Jim knew what she meant, hut the Prince, 
who didn’t, looked a trifle blank. Sadie pro- 
ceeded to enlighten him. 

^‘You see,” she explained, smiling a bit and 
in the most casual manner, ‘^Mr. Wakeley is 
coming with us.” 

‘^What!” said the Prince — ^which, when you 
come to think of it, was the only thing that he 
could have said. 

‘^On our honeymoon,” nodded Sadie, with 
the sweetest of expressions and as calmly as 
if she had been talking about the weather or 
the price of hats. 


76 


MUCH TOO MUCH! 77 

you don’t object,” added Jim to the 
Prince with a decidedly uncomfortable smile. 

‘^Object!” exclaimed the Prince. “I cer- 
tainly do.” 

‘‘What!” said Sadie. (What else, after all, 
could you have expected her to say?) 

“Four of us!” cried the Prince. “Oh, my 
LorM What will people say? They think we 
are a Cook’s tour.” 

Sadie Love turned upon him. Her smile had 
disappeared; it was difficult now to believe it 
had ever been there. A bright red spot was 
burning in each cheek, her violet eyes looked 
almost black and her hair — ^no, don’t be alarmed 
— her hair did not change color — ^but it did 
almost bristle. It certainly shook and waved 
defiance from every one of its crested curls. 

“What if they do think we’re a Cook’s 
tour?” she demanded. “That’s better than 
having them think you’re a Mormon elder — giv- 
ing his harem an outing. That’s what they’d 
have thought if there were three of us. But 


78 


SADIE LOVE 


that was all right ! Oh, yes ! You had no ob- 
jection to that. Why shouldn’t I take a friend 
on my honeymoon? I have to have something 
to amuse me. I can’t sit and talk to Mikey all 
day.” 

At that the Prince drew himself up to his full 
height. Everyone knew that he was going to 
say something, and sure enough he did. 

‘‘I will not go on this — ^much too much honey- 
moon.” 

‘‘Very well,” retorted Sadie. “No honey- 
moon — no divorce I” 

The Comtesse gave a gasp. 

‘ ‘ Luigi I ’ ’ she exclaimed. “You ’ear wat she 
say? No ’oneymoon — no divorce. Eef you 
don’ go — ^you don’ love me.” 

“I will not go,” said the Prince, and he drew 
himself up to more than his full height. 

“Ah, Mon DieuI^^ cried the Comtesse. “Tii 
ne m^aimes pas!*^ and she abandoned herself 
to her grief in a handkerchief so beautifully 
lacy that it must have made weeping a pleas- 


MUCH TOO MUCH! 


79 


nre. The Prince stood it as long as he could — 
which was about half a minute — then he came 
down from more than his full height and 
exclaimed despairingly to the Comtesse (ex- 
actly as Jim had to Sadie), ‘^Oh, damn it, 
I go!’’ 

‘ ‘ Luigi ! ’ ^ The Comtesse seized his hands and 
pressed them gratefully to her bosom. At this 
Sadie Love drew herself up to fully a third 
more than her usual height and exclaimed, ‘Hs 
the much too much honeymoon ready to start — 
on its Cook’s tour?” 

At that, Sadie declares to this day, Jim cast 
a longing glance at the tea and toast — not to 
mention the cakes. This Jim vehemently de- 
nies — though he says it would have been no 
more than natural, seeing that he hadn’t had 
a bite to eat since breakfast. But someone must 
have looked at the tea-tray, or why else should 
Sadie Love have exclaimed: ^‘Yes — I know 
there’s tea — ^but we’d better be going. The 
longer we wait, the more of us there are. Ttlere 


80 


SADIE LOVE 


are fonr of ns now. Tlie first thing we know 
Number Five will be showing np.^^ 

And then — at that very blessed minute — ^in 
came Edward. Once more be bore bis tray 
and on it, again, was a card. Sadie was about 
to take it, but Edward, pronouncing discreetly, 
^‘For Mr. Wakeley,’^ presented the tray to Jim, 
who, looking a trifle surprised, picked up the 
card. ^‘Good Lordl’^ be exclaimed aghast. 
Everyone looked at him — everyone, that is, ex- 
cept Edward, who, of course, gazed discreetly 
into space. Jim, acutely conscious that be was 
being stared at, made a move as if to go out 
of the room, then checked himself. 

‘‘In a moment,^’ be murmured flusteredly to 
Edward, who, with disturbing discreetness, 
bowed and withdrew. 

There was silence for a moment, then Jim 
said agitatedly : 

“I donT know what to think of itP' 

“Who is itr’ asked Sadie. 

Jim hesitated for an awful, breathless mo- 


MUCH TOO MUCH! 81 

ment, tten took tke ckasm in a wild, despair- 
ing leap. 

“My wife!’^ lie said. 

“Your — what?*^ asked Sadie Love blankly. 
She didn’t so rnnch as quiver an eyelash. She 
couldn’t. 

“My wife,” repeated Jim, trying to be un- 
concerned and matter of fact about it, and fail- 
ing lamentably, ^ ‘ I don ’t know what she wants, ’ ’ 
and he looked again at the card, “or how she 
found out I was here — ” 

^^Jim Wakeley!” It was Sadie who inter- 
rupted, and her voice was as the trump of 
doom, “Do you mean to say — you’re mar- 
ried?” 

“Heaven help me, I am!” exclaimed Jim, 
weakly. 

“Oh!” said Sadie. The Comtesse said, 
“Oh!” at the same time and so did the Prince, 
so that there was a perfect volley of exclama- 
tions. There was an awful pause after that, 
then Sadie Love, gazing at Jim, as if she had 


82 


SADIE LOVE 


been Hamlet, and Jim his father’s ghost (Ham- 
let’s father’s ghost), Sadie Love gasped: 
married man — on my honeymoon!^* 

‘‘Don’t jump on me!” protested Jim piti- 
fully (he quite looked like somebody’s father’s 
ghost), “I’ve got troubles enough!” 

“I’d like to jump on you,” cried Sadie Love 
wrathf ully. ‘ ‘ Is there any truth in any man 1 ’ ’ 
and she included the Prince in the wrathful 
broadside of her glance. “Is there any hon- 
esty? Is there any — ” 

“Sadie,” began Jim, “I can explain — ” 
“Explain?” interrupted Sadie. “You can’t 
explain away a mfe! You were coming on my 
honeymoon — I beg your pardon,” and she 
turned to the Comtesse, ^^our honeymoon! — as 
a single man, and all the while — ” 

“I was as single as I could be,” protested 
Jim wretchedly. “My wife left me — two years 
ago.” 

“Two years ago!” Sadie gazed aghast at 
Jim. If she had been shocked before, goodness 


MUCH TOO MUCH! 


83 


knows wkat she was now. ‘VThen — ^yon were 
married — when I first met yon at Nice — ^when 
yon were so slim and with yonr hands fnll of 
lilacs ! Yon were married — that moonlight 
night — on the Promenade des Anglais — 

‘‘What happened that night T’ demanded the 
Prince, bristling. 

“I was on the point of telling yon a dozen 
times,’’ protested Jim to Sadie, “hnt I simply 
conldn’t. That’s why I went away — that’s why 
I didn’t write.” 

“Why didn’t yon tell me to-day P’ 

“What was the good, when I fonnd that yon’d 
married someone else? I’d come to ask yon 
to marry me — ” At that everyone gasped, 
and the Prince, tnming npon Sadie, exclaimed, 
“And yon call me a Mormon!” 

“Yon see,” Jim hastened to explain to Sadie, 
“my wife had sent word she was going to di- 
vorce me, and so — I came to yon — I felt that I 
had a right to come now.” 

“Oh!” Sadie was visibly softened. “Then 


84 


SADIE LOVE 


you did care for me all the time? You did 
come to propose?’^ 

‘‘Why, Sadie dear,’^ Jim took both her hands 
in his and gazed into her eyes, “IVe loved you 
from the first moment I met you and you know 
itJ’ 

This was too much for the Prince. 

^‘You think I stand here,’^ he exclaimed, 
“and listen to such—’’ But Sadie interrupted 
him, 

“Go away if you don’t like it,” she recom- 
mended politely. “ Go on, Jim. ” 

“I could go on all day and all night,” replied 
Jim ardently, “and I’d only be saying the same 
thing. I love you, Sadie!” 

“Oh!” It was the Comtesse who exclaimed, 
and she seemed really scandalized. “ Thees ees 
r— much too much!” 

“He’s my twin soul,” explained Sadie, turn- 
ing to the Comtesse, as if from her at least 
she expected understanding and encourage- 
ment, “I knew him — ^before the world began. 


MUCH TOO MUCH I 


85 


Yes, Jim — ^when I met you at Nice — slim and, 
eager and handsome — 

‘‘Don’t forget the lilacs,” interrupted the 
Prince wrathfully. 

“I cared for you, Jim,” went on Sadie emo- 
tionally, “more than I ever had for anyone. 
When you went away I tried to forget you — 
met Luigi — thought I’d succeeded — 

“Thought!” interrupted the Prince, and the 
anger went out of his dark eyes and an appeal- 
ing expression of pain came into them, “Sa- 
die! You did not mean it — that night, last 
week — in the garden — ^under the roses?” 

“WTiat ’appen under the roses?” demanded 
the Comtesse suspiciously. 

But the Prince did not heed her. He went on 
earnestly, still with the pained look in his eyes, 
“Sadie! You did not mean what you say, to- 
day, when you marry me? You did not mean — 
anything?” 

“I may have thought I did,” said Sadie, “but 
the moment Jim ’phoned me, I knew that I’d 


86 


SADIE LOVE 


made a mistake. I realized the moment I heard 
his voice that it was he whom I had cared for 
all the time.’^ 

‘‘And — now that you do realize it,” asked 
Jim eagerly, “will you marry me?” 

“Jimmy dear,” said Sadie Love, “I will!” 
and she put her hands in his. 

“You have a husband!” cried the Prince, 
aghast, to Sadie. “He have a wife!” 

“Oh, we’ll get over that,” replied Sadie re- 
assuringly. But she lost a bit of her composure 
when Edward came in just then, moving with 
surprising speed and, addressing Jim, faltered : 

“I’m very sorry, sir, but the lady wouldn’t 
wait.” Then, with as much dignity as he could 
summon on such short notice, he drew himself 
up and tried to look impassive as he announced : 

‘ ‘ Mrs. Wakeley ! Mr. Crewe ! ’ ’ 


CHAPTER VI 

PUT THAT DOWN 

‘‘Me. CeeweT’ repeated Jim blankly. 

There was a short but awful pause, then 
Lillah Wakeley swept into the room. She was 
a tall, handsome, smartly dressed woman, with 
a commanding personality. Sadie Love, now 
that it is all over, persists in declaring that 
Mrs. Wakeley has a hooked nose. But, of 
course, under the circumstances, Sadie can 
scarcely be blamed for saying almost anything 
about the lady in question. In the interests of 
veracity, however, I must set down that Mrs. 
Wakeley ’s nose is only slightly aquiline, in a 
distinctly patrician manner, and that it does 
not in the slightest detract from her very con- 
siderable claims to good looks. Of course, it 
might be objected that her mouth and chin are 
too firm for beauty, but her coloring (which ia 
87 


88 


SADIE LOVE 


her own) is undeniably effective. Her hair 
reddish auburn, and her eyes, somehow, seem 
to be of the same hue, though that, probably, 
is an optical illusion. She has a great deal of 
color, and, in moments of excitement, a great 
deal more of it. Sadie refers to her as being 
‘‘buxom,’’ but here, again, I must protest. Lil- 
lah Wakeley’s curves may be a trifle generous, 
but she has her figure well in hand. In fact, 
she generally has everything well in hand. 

In the wake of the energetic Mrs. Wakeley 
came, much more timidly, Mr. Crewe — ^whoever 
he was — a thin, politely pallid individual of 
about thirty — good-looking in a mild sort of 
a way. His attire was impeccably correct, as 
was his manner — though he was, plainly, rather 
nervous. He advanced into the drawing-room 
as if he knew perfectly well about those eggs 
and the dynamite under the carpet. As Ed- 
ward withdrew (more discreetly than ever) 
Lillah Wakeley swept the room with a widely 
suspicious glance. Her gaze rested on Jim. 


PUT THAT DOWN 89 

‘‘Good heavens!^' she said, “but you’ve got 
fatl” 

“You’re not any thinner,” retorted Jim. 
Then, these preliminary amenities concluded, 
he went through the introductions. Lillah, in 
turn, presented her companion. ‘ ‘ Mr. Mumf ord 
Crewe.” Then she turned to Jim. “Well!” 
she demanded accusingly, “which is it!” and 
she pointed to Sadie and the Comtesse. 
“Which are you in love with! Which did you 
rush here to see!” 

There was a general gasp, and Jim looked 
quite dazed. It was half a minute before he 
rallied. 

“Who said I was in love!” he asked, star- 
ing dazedly at his wife. “Who said I rushed 
here to see!” 

“I was at the dock this morning, watching 
for you. When you landed I followed you. 
You did rush! Which is it!” and again she 
indicated the Comtesse and Sadie. “I demand 
an answer!” 


90 


SADIE LOVE 


‘‘Ah — ma chere Madame!*^ exclaimed the 
Comtesse, who was beginning to look alarmed, 
“I meet yonr 'usband ze first time — ^to-day!’’ 

“It’s the other one!” cried Lillah, and she 
glared at Sadie. ‘ ‘ She admits it ! Mumfy — ^put 
that down ! ’ ’ 

Mumfy (which was short for Mumford 
Crewe) gave a funny little squeak of assent, 
and, producing a pencil and a tablet, proceeded 
to “put it down.” 

“I admit nothing of the sort!” gasped Sadie, 
recovering from the shock of this unexpected 
attack. “I’m just married. This is my hus- 
band.” She indicated the Prince. 

“Where’s your husband?” demanded Lillah, 
turning accusingly upon the Comtesse. 

“I don’t know!” exclaimed the Comtesse, 
taken aback; then, hastily correcting herself, 
“I mean — I ’ave no ’usband!” 

“She had some husbands,” explained Sadie 
Love, “but she lost them. She’s careless with 
her husbands.” 


PUT THAT DOWN 


91 


^‘Careless with her husbands/’ Lillah glared 
at the Comtesse. ‘‘Mumfy — put that down.” 

Mumfy squeaked and obeyed. 

‘‘Lillah I” said Jim, staring, quite goggly- 
eyed, at his wife. “In Heaven’s name — ^what’s 
the matter? What are you trying to do ? ” 

“Get a divorce,” declared Lillah, “and 
what’s more — shall ! ’ ’ 

“But — ^who’s stopping you?” expostulated 
Jim. “I’ll let you get one.” 

“Yes,” replied Lillah, “but where?” 

“Go to Eeno,” exclaimed Sadie involun- 
tarily, and she glanced at the Comtesse. “It’s 
beautiful in Eeno.” 

“But I don’t want to go to Eeno,” objected 
Lillah energetically. “I don’t want to go to 
any stupid, far-away place for a whole year. I 
want to get a divorce comfortably — in New 
York.” 

“But, Lillah,” protested Jim, “surely you’re 
aware^ — in New York — there’s only one ground 
for divorce — the most serious! It — it’s about 


92 


SADIE LOVE 


the Seventh Commandment. ’ ’ And Jim blushed 
like a schoolboy. But Lillah didn’t. 

know,” she retorted, ^ that’s why I’m 
here! I want to establish that one ground. 
Then I won’t have to go away for my divorce. 
Why, even if I went to Eeno right now, I 
couldn’t get back in time for the Horse Show.” 
She looked dreadfully abused at the mere 
thought. Or, rather, she looked as abused as 
she could. Lillah was a trifle too strong-minded 
to look anything in the passive tense. 

^H’m extremely sorry, Mrs. Wakeley,” said 
Sadie, drawing herself up with awful dignity, 
‘‘but I’m afraid you’ll have to go elsewhere 
to establish your — one ground. ’ ’ 

“Don’t try to deceive me,” retorted Lillah 
formidably, “I’m telepathic. I can read your 
mind. I know just what you’re thinking.” 

“Oh — I trust not,” replied Sadie with polite 
concern. And then Jim intervened. 

“Lillah, dear,” he began diplomatically, 
“possessed, as you are, of this marvelous power 


PUT THAT DOWN 


93 


of reading minds — ^yon mnst realize wliat a mis- 
take yonVe made. I ruslied here, it is true, to 
the wedding of Miss Love — 

‘‘WhoT’ demanded Lillah in awful tones. 

^^Miss Love,’’ and he indicated Sadie, ‘^who 
is now the Princess Pallavicini. The Comtesse 
I had never seen before to-day. Are you 
satisfied?” 

‘‘I am not,” retorted Lillah. want a di- 
vorce — and I want it in New York!” 

^ ‘ And why, may I ask, ’ ’ — Jim began to bristle 
— “are you suddenly so anxious for a divorce?” 

“Because I’m married to youV’ replied Lil- 
lah haughtily. “Isn’t that reason enough?” 

“You want to get rid of me,” declared Jim, 
glowering suspiciously at her, “to marry some- 
one else.” He turned his gaze on Mumford 
Crewe. “Who is — Mumfy?” he demanded. 
“And why does he put things down?” 

“Mr. Mumford Crewe,” responded Lillah 
haughtily, “is my representative and personal 
adviser.” 


94 


SADIE LOVE 


‘‘What else is he^^ demanded Jim quite 
fiercely. “What else is he going to be? Yon 
might as well confess. I also can read 
minds!’’ 

“My friendship with Mr. Crewe,” answered 
Lillah icily, “is above reproach. It is true, 
when I divorce yon, I shall marry him.” 

“I knew it!” exclaimed Jim wrathfnlly. He 
tnmed to the others with qnite an abnsed ex- 
pression. “My wife, whom I tmsted — the 
woman who bears my name!” 

“Bnt Jim” — it was Sadie who spoke; she 
had been silent for a long time (for Sadie!) — ■ 
“how can Mrs. Wakeley help caring for Mr. 
Crewe, if he’s her — ^twin sonl?” 

“Oh — yes, yes,” said Lillah gratefnlly. 

“She knew him,” went on Sadie earnestly, 
“before the world began.” 

“Oh.” Lilah was manifestly tonched. 
“How well yon nnderstand.” 

“Oh, yes,” answered Sadie Love. “I know 
all abont twin sonls. I married one.” Mrs. 


PUT THAT DOWN 


95 


Wakeley, of course, didn^t catch the meaning 
of this, but the Prince did, and he looked un- 
comfortable. 

‘^Well,’^ said Jim, moved, apparently, by Sa- 
die ^s defense of Lillah, ‘^1 suppose I can stand 
losing you, Lillah, if Crewe can stand marry- 
ing you. ’ ^ Everyone felt that that was a nasty 
cut, but no one cared much, except Lillah and 
Mumfy. 

‘‘Mr. Wakeley,’’ protested Mumfy, “it will 
be the happiest day of my life when I marry 
your wife. ’ ’ 

“I thought the same thing,” said Jim, “the 
day I married her!” (Which, of course, was 
nasty or not, depending on how you looked at 
it.) 

“Well,” exclaimed Lillah, and she seemed 
relieved, “that’s settled, anyhow. But will I 
have to leave New York?” That thought 
seemed to worry her. She turned to Sadie. 
“Have you been to Beno!” she inquired. 

“Not yet,” said Sadie Love. 


96 


SADIE LOVE 


“There are monntains, aren^t there asked 
Lillah, trying to take a hopeful view of the mat- 
ter. “I could climb. I might lose a few 
pounds.’^ 

“Jim,” said Sadie Love, “that^d be a good 
place for you.” 

It was then that the Comtesse got her inspi- 
ration. 

“Let us all go!” she exclaimed suddenly. 
Then, when they looked blank, she went on, 
“Let us all go — to Eeno! I would love eet — 
to go back ! It would be like to go ’ome ! ^ ^ She 
explained, then, that Sadie and Mrs. Wakeley 
could get their divorces simultaneously, and 
that she, just to see that everything was done 
properly, would remain with them. Lillah 
Wakeley, who, of course, didnT understand the 
situation, looked dazed. As for Sadie, she ob- 
jected, at once and energetically. 

“Just a moment,” she protested, “I must 
draw the line somewhere on this honeymoon. 
It’s getting — ^much too much! It was a Cook’s 


PUT THAT DOWN 


97 


tour! lUs become an excursion I If we keep 
on, it ^11 be a national movement T* 

‘‘We are only six,’’ said the Comtesse, as 
if that were quite the usual number for a 
honeymoon. 

“But how do I know,” asked Sadie, “that 
your two ex-husbands won’t turn up next? And 
perhaps Mr. Crewe has a wife around some- 
where” (Mumfy at this, gasped protestingly ) , 
“and perhaps those husbands and wives have 
other husbands and wives — and so on. It’s like 
one of those endless-chain things I You see 
where it begins, but you don’t know where 
it will end. I don’t want to be narrow- 
minded — ^but something in my nature rebels 
against more than four people on one honey- 
moon.” 

Lillah Wakeley was more than ever mixed up 
by this, so the Comtesse explained to her that 
Sadie, also, wished to divorce. 

“Just married,” gasped Lillah, “and talking 
about a divorce already ! Good heavens ! The 


98 SADIE LOVE 

next thing, people will be divorcing before they 
marry. ’ ’ 

‘‘I wish some of ^em had,’’ spoke up Jim in- 
voluntarily, and he looked at Lillah in a fash- 
ion which left no doubt as to his meaning. 
Then the Comtesse, in order to clear things up 
entirely, went on to explain to Lillah how Jim 
was going on Sadie’s honeymoon. 

‘ ^ What I ’ ’ Lillah turned, still not comprehend- 
ing, to Jim and Sadie. 

“He’s my twin soul,” explained Sadie. 

“Mumfy!” gasped Lillah, “put that 
down!” 

Mumfy squeaked and obeyed. 

“You know, Lillah,” protested Jim, “you 
haven’t a monopoly on twin souls.” And then, 
on top of this, Sadie calmly announced: “You 
see, Mrs. Wakeley — I’m going to marry your 
husband.” 

Lillah drew herself up till she looked like a 
female Gibraltar. 

“You’ll do nothing of the sort,” she declared. 


PUT THAT DOWN 


99 


‘‘But, Lillah,’^ protested Jim, “you said you 
were going to divorce me.” 

“I won^t do it!” exclaimed Lillali, where- 
upon Mumfy looked very peculiar — ^whether it 
was from relief or depression one could hardly 
say. 

“I’ll make you divorce me!” declared Jim, 
“and the moment Sadie is free — ” 

He was interrupted by the Prince, who had 
stood mute through it all, like a horrified Eo- 
man god, but who now came suddenly to life. 

“She shall not be free!” exclaimed the 
Prince. The Comtesse, horrified, cried out 
“Luigi !” but he gave no heed to her. He went 
straight over to Sadie, and, standing in front 
of her, declared, passionately: “Tou are my 
wife — you stay my wife.” 

‘ ‘ Oh, will I ? Will I ? ” cried Sadie. ‘ ‘ Do you 
know what you are — ^both of you?” and she con- 
fronted the Prince and Lillah. “You’re dogs 
in the manger.” 

“Oh!” gasped Lillah, outraged. 


100 


SADIE LOVE 


‘^That^s just what you are/^ exclaimed Sadie 
Love. ^‘You wanted to get rid of to Lil- 

lah, ‘‘and you/’ she turned to the Prince, 
“wanted your twin soul. You didn’t care what 
became of us — ^what our lives would be! But 
the moment you find out that Jim and I also 
have twins — ” There was a simultaneously 
horrified gasp, and Jim turned red as a lob- 
ster, “twin souls, I mean!” corrected Sadie 
wrathfully, “the moment you find out that we 
care for each other, that we want to be free, 
that we want to get married, you say ‘No! 
No!’ Well, I say you’ve got to give us our 
freedom! If you don’t do it willingly, we’ll 
make you do it! We — we — we’ll do something 
awful!” this in a climax of rage. Then, turn- 
ing to Jim, ‘ ‘ Jim ! Think of something awful ! ’ ’ 
The demand was sudden, but Jim rose nobly to 
the emergency. 

“We’ll go away — together,” he declared, 
“here and now.” 

“We will!” said Sadie excitedly, and felt to 


PUT THAT DOWN 


101 


see if her hat was on straight, which showed 
that she meant it. 

‘‘We’ll go some place,” exclaimed Jim, 
“where everybody will know ahont it. To Chi- 
cago or Bermuda — ” 

“Or China,” supplemented Sadie, “or any- 
where — on a honeymoon of our own — and it 
won’t be ostensible, either! You won’t need to 
go to Eeno for your divorce,” this was for 
Lillah, “you can stay right in New York.” 

“We’ll be unfaithful to you!” exclaimed Jim 
to Lillah and the Prince. 

“We will!” echoed Sadie, openly unfaith- 
ful! Then you’ll have to divorce us!” She 
took Jim’s arm, and they actually started for 
the door. But the Prince barred their way. 

“You do not leave this house !” he thundered. 

“No!” retorted Sadie. “Very well — we 
won’t! Come on, Jim!” she seized him by the 
hand. “We’ll be unfaithful to them hereV^ 
She started up the staircase, Jim with her. On 
the first landing she turned: “Mumfy!” she 


102 


SADIE DOVE 


cried, ‘‘put that down I She and Jim disap- 
peared around a curve of the stairs on their 
way to the second floor. There was a moment’s 
horrified, breathless pause, then the Prince, ral- 
lying his dazed wits, exclaimed something in 
Italian, and rushed up the stairs after them. 
The Comtesse, crying out something in French, 
followed him. Lillah, saying many things, volu- 
bly, in English, followed them both. As for 
Mumfy — through force of habit he had taken 
out his pad and pencil, at Sadie’s command, and 
had begun to “put it down.” 

“We’ll — ^be unfaithful to them — here I” he 
murmured. Suddenly, realizing what he had 
written, he let the pad and pencil fall, and stood, 
staring before him. 

“Oh — ^my God I” he said weakly. Then he 
went upstairs, too. 


CHAPTER Vn 

WHAT HAPPENED THEN 

The first that Aunt Julia knew about it was 
when she met Sadie and Jim at the top of the 
stairs. Aunt Julia was on her way down. Jim 
and Sadie, just as evidently, were on their way 
up, and they seemed to be in a hurry. Sadie 
was in the lead and Jim was right behind her. 
There was plenty of room for him beside her 
on the wide staircase, but, to tell the truth, he 
couldn’t run quite so fast as Sadie. He might 
have been able to a year before, when he had 
white lilacs in his hands, but not now. 

When Aunt J ulia saw the two of them rushing 
madly up those stairs she didn’t know what to 
think — but she did know, instictively, that there 
was something wrong. 

Sadie Love!” she exclaimed, standing in 
103 


104 


SADIE LOVE 


the center of the staircase. ‘^What are you 
doing? Where are you going? 

Though Aunt Julia stood in the middle of the 
stairway, Sadie Love (who vouchsafed no re- 
ply to her Auntie’s challenge) slipped by her 
successfully. But Jim, who needed a little more 
room than Sadie did, and who would have had 
to jostle Aunt Julia in order to pass — Jim pre- 
served his manners, even in this crisis, and 
halted — only for a moment — but that moment 
was fatal ! For just then Aunt Julia heard from 
the drawing-room below a terrible hullabaloo — 
cries and exclamations — and the next thing she 
knew she saw the Prince bounding up the stairs, 
six steps at a time. (At least so she main- 
tained afterward, but we must take her state- 
ment with a grain of salt. After all, the Prince 
was not a kangaroo.) Behind the Prince came 
the Comtesse, but she could not run fast, and 
she was overtaken on the first steps of the stairs 
by a strange woman, tall and reddish-haired 
(Lillah Wakeley, of course), who pushed her 


WHAT HAPPENED THEN 


105 


unceremoniously aside and flew up the stairs at 
least three steps at a time. (This, again, on 
the authority of Mrs. Warrington. Sadie Love 
maintains that Lillah Wakeley couldn’t have 
come up those stairs three steps at a time with 
the skirt that she had on! Mrs. Warrington, 
however, asserts that Mrs. Wakeley lifted her 
skirt to the point where — ^well, where running 
begins and modesty ends. This Mrs. Wakeley 
indignantly denies. I have given you all sides 
of the case; believe whom you choose.) 

Mrs. Warrington’s flrst thought, when she 
saw this mad rush up the stairway, was that 
the house was on fire — ^though why they were 
running upstairs, instead of down, she couldn’t 
quite make out. Still, it would have been just 
like Sadie. But this assumption had barely 
flashed through her mind when the Prince, tak- 
ing the rest of the stairs at one leap (again on 
the authority of Mrs. Warrington), seized upon 
Jim, who was standing, apparently frozen to his 
own particular step, and attempted to throw 


106 


SADIE LOVE 


him aside. Jim resisted valiantly, and there 
was a brief hut vivid encounter. The next thing 
that anyone knew Jim was standing (a few 
steps below his own particular step) holding his 
eye. And then the Prince, who had attained the 
second floor, snatched up Sadie, who was stand- 
ing there, and carried her bodily out of sight, 
down the hallway. Mrs. Warrington, who would 
certainly have fainted if she had had sufficient 
presence of mind to do so, clung, gasping, 
to the banister. Jim, the Comtesse and the red- 
dish-haired woman all stood — also gasping — 
on the stairs below her. And below them all 
was a strange man (Mumford Crewe). And 
he was gasping, too I 

‘‘What is itr’ asked Mrs. Warrington at last, 
feebly. Then, while they all stood, gasping 
together, on the stairs, Lillah Wakeley told her. 
The fact that Mrs. Warrington didnT faint, 
even then, is proof that she was a Spartan aunt. 
Not that she didn’t want to faint. She had it 
decidedly in mind. But she realized that there 


WHAT HAPPENED THEN 


107 


wasn’t time. For, as Lillah finished her dread- 
ful recital, Jim (even though he was holding 
one eye) started determinedly up the stairs 
again. Mrs. Warrington, gathering her shat- 
tered forces, barred his way. She spread out 
her arms majestically and transfixed him with 
an ^^over-my-dead-body” glance. 

‘^Mr. Wakeleyl” she exclaimed in awful 
tones, ‘^you will kindly leave my house — at 
once ! ’ ’ 

‘^Not without Sadie,” declared Jim, still hold- 
ing on to his eye (he had a terrible conviction 
that if he didnH hold on to it, it would come 
out). He turned upon Lillah, ‘^We told you 
what we’re going to do,” he exclaimed, ^^and 
we’ll do it!” 

Just then something happened down in the 
drawing-room. The Comtesse heard it first and 
rushed, screaming, down the stairs. Every- 
body followed her. Mrs. Warrington says that 
she thought the Prince had brought Sadie down- 
stairs the back way and was killing her in the 


108 


SADIE LOVE 


drawing-room, under the wedding bell. (‘‘It 
wonld have been just like an Italian, ’ ’ she points 
out.) But when they got to the drawing-room, 
what they saw was a gilded basket doing somer- 
saults on the floor, under the frantic paws of 
a wild-eyed poodle. Zozo, inside the basket, 
was yowling like a whole sextette of cats, and 
Mikey was shrieking with a voice like a razor. 
The uproar was appalling, and it brought the 
servants, as well as everyone else. The Com- 
tesse, who had had too much emotion for one 
day, fainted into the most comfortable chair 
in the room, and then the Prince, as wild-eyed 
as Mikey, burst upon the scene, waving a key, 
and announcing, in Italian, that he had locked 
Sadie up. Mrs. Warrington, who didnT know 
a syllable of the Prince’s native tongue, was 
quite sure, then, that Sadie had been killed, and 
she immediately sent the servants out of the 
room, as the first step toward a decent inquest. 
Then the Prince went over to Jim, and talked 
in his face, in faster and faster Italian, and 



I don’t care what you do to each other . . . but I won’t have a scandal!” 










WHAT HAPPENED THEN 


109 


Jim talked back, in the Princess face, in more 
and more fluent English. In fact, a number of 
times he spoke American! Still holding onto 
his eye, he declared again, with pasionate em- 
phasis, that he wouldn’t leave the house with- 
out Sadie. 

‘‘You can’t take her with you if he’s killed 
her!” cried Mrs. Warrington hysterically, and 
she pointed to the Prince. The Prince ex- 
plained, then, that he hadn’t killed Sadie, but 
that he was on the point of killing someone else, 
and he seemed about to dispose of Jim, then 
and there, on the drawing-room carpet. But 
Mrs. Warrington determinedly intervened. 

“I don’t care what you do to each other,” she 
exclaimed, agitatedly, “but you shan’t do it in 
my house ! I won ’t have a scandal ! ’ ’ 

Just then, the Comtesse, under the ministra- 
tions of Lillah Wakeley and Mumford Crewe, 
returned to consciousness, and everyone was 
sorry that she had, for she went straightway 
into the most awful hysterics. She did it in 


110 


SADIE LOVE 


French, which made it difficult to know what it 
was all about. Aunt Julia thought that it was 
anxiety for the cat, and put the gilded basket 
into the Comtesse’s arms, to convince her that 
Zozo was alive and well. But it happened that 
the Comtesse was having her hysterics on ac- 
count of the Prince, who, she was sure, no 
longer cared for her. At least that^s what she 
kept affirming, in the most frightfully fluent 
French. The Prince understood it well enough, 
and he kept telling her (in Italian) that he was 
her twin soul, and that he had known her be- 
fore the world began, but it didnT seem to do 
the slightest bit of good. The more he said, 
the worse she got, and when she began tearing 
up the sofa pillows and scattering the feathers 
all around, and then falling face downward on 
the couch and kicking her heels (French, of 
course) up into the air, he retreated in despair, 
informing Mrs. Warrington that the only rem- 
edy for the Comtesse was bed and a doctor. He 
had, it appeared, seen the lady once before in 


WHAT HAPPENED THEN 


111 


a similar condition. Mrs. Warrington, her 
world falling about her ears, ’phoned for the 
physician. Her only consolation was that he 
wouldn ’t understand a word the Comtesse said. 
Then the Prince and Mumfy carried the Com- 
tesse up to the Eed Eoom, and that started 
a whole new fit of hysterics. She was, it ap- 
peared, dreadfully susceptible to color, and red 
made her violent. They had to take her to the 
Amber Eoom, and that seemed better, but she 
was still in a very bad way. 

Mrs. Warrington, by now, was longing to 
indulge in hysterics herself, but it was like the 
fainting — she didn ’t have time. When she went 
down into the drawing-room again, Jim was 
standing (holding one eye) and gazing out of 
a window, with an affectation of great interest, 
while Edward, quite open-mouthed with amaze- 
ment, was listening to Lillah Wakeley repeat- 
ing her order for some fresh tea and a piece of 
raw beefsteak. Of course the beefsteak was 
for Jim’s eye, but Edward didn’t know that. 


112 SADIE LOVE 

He went to the kitchen and informed the cook 
that the strange lady who had been the last to 
arrive was some kind of a cannibal. Cook, how- 
ever, thought that the meat might be for the 
Comtesse, who had been taken upstairs, rav- 
ing mad. The system of news distribution in 
Mrs. Warrington ^s establishment was, as you 
perceive, not entirely lacking in efficiency. 

It wasnT till all these things had been at- 
tended to that Mrs. Warrington went up to 
Sadie. The Prince went with her, for he had 
the key to the boudoir door. But when he un- 
locked it and he and Mrs. Warrington went in, 
Sadie was nowhere in sight. She had retreated 
to her bedroom, had locked herself in, and there 
was no seeing her, no speaking with her. To 
pleas, reasoning, threats and cajoling, Sadie, 
secure in her bedroom, turned a deaf ear, and 
gave forth no response. For one awful mo- 
ment, Mrs. Warrington, alarmed by this un- 
precedented silence, had feared a suicide, but 
when she peeped through the keyhole she saw 


WHAT HAPPENED THEN 


113 


Sadie powdering her nose — a performance 
which, under the circumstances, seemed to Aunt 
Julia nothing short of scandalous. She and 
the Prince retreated, finally, taking care to lock 
the boudoir door. As a further precaution the 
Prince went downstairs with a pair of big scis- 
sors, which Mrs. Warrington had found for him, 
and snipped one of the electric wires, to put the 
push-button in Sadie’s room out of commission. 
On no account, Mrs. Warrington had explained 
to the Prince, must the servants know of what 
had happened. They must he kept away from 
Sadie’s room — all of them — even Celeste, Sa- 
die ’s maid. 

When Mrs. Warrington (after her fruitless 
visit to Sadie) got back once more to the draw- 
ing-room, Lillah Wakeley was standing in the 
middle of the room, with a piece of raw steak 
in her hand. She was determinedly surveying 
Jim, who was still looking out of the window 
(and still holding his eye). And Mikey, who 
thought that the steak was for him, was sit- 


114 


SADIE LOVE 


ting np on his hannches in front of Lillah. 

‘‘If you’ll kindly assign me a room,” said 
Lillah, haughtily, to Mrs. Warrington, “where 
I can put a bandage on — him.” And she shot 
an awful glance at Jim. His back was to her, 
but he felt the glance strike him, and he stirred 
uneasily. 

Mrs. Warrington would have liked to have 
refused Lillah ’s request; she would have liked 
to have said that there was no room in her 
house for Jim Wakeley or for his wife, either 
(not to mention Mumford Crewe) ; she would 
have liked to have requested them, all three, 
to leave her home at once ; she would even have 
liked to have taken the piece of raw steak away 
from Lillah, and to have given it to Mikey, who 
really deserved it. But she did none of these 
things. Lillah, somehow, intimidated her. 

“If you’ll come this way,” she said stiffly, 
and led them upstairs. ‘ ‘ Hold on to your eye, ’ ’ 
she commanded Jim, severely, “the servants 
must not know.” 


WHAT HAPPENED THEN 115 


When they got to the second floor she started 
to lead Jim and Lillah to the Eed Eoom (it 
would have matched the beefsteak) ; but, seeing 
one of the servants coming along the hall, she 
hastily executed a right-about-face, and led the 
way to the back stairs, and up to the third floor. 
There was a guest suite there, so Lillah could 
bathe Jim’s eye, and beefsteak and bandage 
him, and bully him, and quarrel with him, to 
her heart’s content, and no one be the wiser. 
(No one, that is, except Jim!) 

Having thus temporarily disposed of Jim and 
his mate, Mrs. Warrington went down to see 
how the Comtesse was getting on. That lady 
was considerably quieter, but still in a very dis- 
turbed stat%. The Doctor, who came presently, 
prescribed a sleeping draught. Mrs. Warring- 
ton groaned at this, but she couldn’t very well 
object. The draught was administered and the 
Comtesse slept. 

‘‘Now I’ve got her on my hands,” thought 
Mrs. Warrington, despairingly. 


116 


SADIE LOVE 


And then, when the Doctor had gone, Lillah 
Wakeley appeared, flushed but triumphant, 
with Mumford Crewe timidly in her wake. 

Whereas Mr. Wakeley T’ asked Mrs. War- 
rington, apprehensively. 

‘^IVe locked him in that room,’’ replied Lil- 
lah Wakeley, and she brandished a key; ‘‘and 
what’s more, I shan’t let him out till that niece 
of yours is safely out of the country.” 


CHAPTEE Vin 

NOT YET — ^BUT WE WILL I 

When she heard that — about Jim being locked 
up, and Lillah Wakeley not going to release him 
till Sadie was out of the country — Mrs. War- 
rington didn’t know what she would do. It was 
all very well for Mrs. Wakeley to talk about 
getting Sadie Love out of the country, but how, 
in the name of goodness, were they going to 
do it? There was Sadie, shut in her bedroom, 
refusing to see or speak to anyone. She might 
stay there for a week. One never knew, with 
Sadie Love ! 

^ ‘ I can ’t help it, ’ ’ said Lillah, when Mrs. War- 
rington had pointed all this out to her. ‘ ‘ As for 
locking Jim up, there was nothing else for me 
to do. All the time that I was bandaging him 
—the ungrateful wretch! — ^he kept saying that 
he ‘wouldn’t leave this house without Sadie.’ 

117 


118 


SADIE LOYE 


I Ve got Mm now where lie can^t leave the house 
with or without her! IVe done my part. Now 
let the Prince do Ms! Let him take his wife 
away. ’ ^ Then she said that she was completely 
exhausted, and had to lie down, so she got the 
Eed Eoom! 

Mrs. Warrington, finding she still had Mumi- 
ford Crewe on her hands, asked Mm if he were 
going to stay, too. He was sorry, he explained, 
but he had to; he couldnT desert Mrs. Wake- 
ley. This almost finished off Aunt Julia, but 
she summoned strength enough to go upstairs 
and make another attempt at reasoning with 
Sadie. It failed as signally as the first had 
done. She kept on trying, though, at regular 
intervals, and so did the Prince. 

The dining hour approached. Mrs. Warring- 
ton realized that, though she hadn’t invited 
these people, though she didn’t want them, 
though she wished she’d never seen them — they 
had to be fed. Lillah Wakeley, who had fin- 
ished her nap, came downstairs and declared, 


NOT YET— BUT WE ,WILL! 119 


quite openly, that she was ravenous. She, and 
the Prince, and Mumfy, and Mrs. Warrington 
had a sort of a meal together. The Prince was 
in a terrible state of mind because Sadie 
wouldn^t respond even to offers of food. And 
then, about nine o’clock, the Comtesse woke 
up. Everyone had hoped that she would sleep 
all night, if not longer, but she didn’t! She 
rang for nourishment, and when it had been 
brought and she had partaken thereof, she felt 
better, and decided to get up, but she didn’t 
feel equal yet to leaving. ^‘And she wonH feel 
equal to leaving, as long as the Prince is here,” 
thought Mrs. Warrington, despairingly. 

It was then that she determined to call a gen- 
eral council of war. Some agreement, she de- 
clared, must be arrived at. The present state 
of affairs couldn’t continue. So she asked Lil- 
lah, and Mumfy, and the Comtesse to meet her 
in Sadie’s boudoir. She went on ahead with 
the Prince to see if, between them, they could 
lure Sadie out of her bedroom. For, of course, 


120 


SADIE LOVE 


there wouldn’t be much use of a general dis- 
cussion if Sadie didn’t take part in it. 

It was precisely ten o’clock in the evening 
when Mrs. Warrington, followed by the Prince, 
approached the door of Sadie’s boudoir. At 
that particular moment Sadie Love, still in her 
going-away gown, was reposing on the most 
comfortable chaise-longue in the whole world. 
She did not, however, look at all like Madame 
Eecamier (who, as everyone knows, never did 
anything hut repose on a chaise-longue). She 
looked exactly like Sadie Love — which was say- 
ing a good deal. She looked, moreover, like 
Sadie Love in a temper — ^but that had happened 
before ! But she looked, finally, like Sadie Love 
in a temper which had lasted for several hours, 
and which promised to last for several more. 
And that was serious ; that had never happened 
before. 

Sadie Love had been trying, for some time, 
to read, and had not been succeeding at all. 
Sadie Love had been trying, for some time, to 



Sadie Love . . . was reposing on the most comfortable chaise-longue in the whole world. 






NOT YET— BUT WE WILL! 121 


settle herself entirely comfortably, on that 
chaise-longue, and she had not been succeeding 
in that, either. The cushions didn^t suit her, 
or perhaps she didn’t suit the cushions ! What- 
ever it was, something was wrong. She moved, 
she turned, she twisted, she sighed impatiently. 
And then she stopped doing all these things, 
and listened intently. Her keen ears had de- 
tected someone outside in the hallway. (The 
someone, of course, was Aunt Julia — not to 
mention the Prince.) Sadie Love threw down 
her hook, rose quickly, and, crossing to the 
bedroom, went into it, closing and locking the 
door after her. 

A moment after, the boudoir door was un- 
locked and opened and Mrs. Warrington came 
in. She saw that Sadie wasn’t there, and sighed 
despairingly. Then she noted the condition of 
the room, and sighed again. It was in what 
could he best described as picturesque disor- 
der. Most of Sadie’s luggage had been sent 
off early in the day (before the ceremony), 


122 SADIE LOVE 

but one steamer trunk and a bat trunk and 
some smaller pieces were to have departed 
simultaneously with tbeir mistress. As Sadie, 
bowever, bad not departed, neither bad tbe one 
steamer trunk, nor tbe bat trunk, nor tbe 
smaller pieces; and Sadie bad since partially 
unpacked them. 

Mrs. Warrington crossed to tbe bedroom door 
and knocked. 

‘‘Sadie!’’ sbe said. There was no response. 
“Sadie!” sbe repeated. Still no response. 
‘ ‘ Sadie Love ! I must speak to you. I must ! ’ ’ 

Less of a response than ever. Mrs. Warring- 
ton threw up her bands despairingly and 
turned away. It was then that tbe Prince (who 
bad been standing, watching, in tbe doorway) 
got bis idea. Putting bis fingers to bis lips, to 
enjoin silence, be motioned Mrs. Warrington 
to move away from tbe bedroom door. Next, 
be himself closed tbe door which led out into 
tbe hallway. He did it with ostentatious loud- 
ness. Mrs. Warrington understood then that 


NOT YET— BUT WE WILLI 123 


slie was supposed to have departed. At least, 
that was what Sadie Love was to be led to 
think. And now Mrs. Warrington and the 
Prince were to wait until Sadie, believing the 
coast to be clear, should come out again into 
the boudoir. Then they would corner her ! It 
must be owned, the idea of cornering Sadie did 
not particularly appeal.to them. But they were 
there to do their duty. They exchanged glances 
of sympathetic understanding, and waited, in 
silence. They had a sufficiently long wait, did 
the conspirators. It seemed, indeed, as if their 
strategy were doomed to failure; they were on 
the point of acknowledging themselves defeated, 
and abandoning the field, when they heard the 
key turning in the lock of the bedroom door. 
Then the door opened, and Sadie Love came into 
the boudoir. When she saw them, an exclama- 
tion escaped her, and she was on the point of 
retreating, but her pride would not permit her. 
She crimsoned with wrath, and drew herself up 
haughtily, but she said nothing. Neither did 


124 


SADIE LOVE 


the others, for a moment. Then the Prince 
spoke : 

come, at your Aunt^s request, to ask you 
once more — 

^^To listen to reason!’’ finished Aunt Julia. 
She simply had to say something. 

‘‘I’ve been doing nothing else — through the 
bedroom door,” replied Sadie Love, icily, 
“since four in the afternoon. It is now ten 
in the evening.” 

“You must — you will listen!” exclaimed the 
Prince, and his dark eyes fiashed with sup- 
pressed wrath. 

“Very well,” answered Sadie, with haughty 
resignation. “But before you begin let me tell 
you this: Don’t think you can keep me shut up 
here much longer! I’ll ring,” and she pointed 
to the push-button, “I’ll summon the serv- 
ants — ” 

“You can’t ring!” interrupted Mrs. War- 
rington, and then she told about the Prince cut- 
ting the wires. 


NOT YET— BUT WE WILL! 125 


gasped Sadie, quite breathless with 
indignation, ^^and you let 

‘‘The servants must not know,’’ said Mrs. 
Warrington agitatedly, “there must not be a 
scandal. Though I don’t know how we’re go- 
ing to prevent it. They suspect something, 
I know they do. And if it ever gets to 
that newspaper correspondent, at that odious 
hotel!” 

She referred, thus disparagingly, to “The 
Seaside Inn,” a summer hostelry, which had 
recently been erected, almost across the road 
from her own exclusive grounds. At the mere 
thought of the noisy, gossipy hotel, and the 
newspaper person whom it harbored, she sat 
down weakly. Then she went on agitatedly: 
“I’ve told the servants that you’re ill. But 
who ever heard of a bride getting ill when she 
was starting on her honeymoon — and then sud- 
denly giving a house-party for a lot of people 
who weren’t at the wedding!” 

“You won’t even let Celeste come near me,” 


126 


SADIE LOVE 


exclaimed Sadie Love. ‘‘What do you sup- 
pose she thinks 

“I don’t want to think what she thinks,” re- 
torted Aunt Julia, and she looked so disturbed 
that Sadie, in spite of her wrath, felt sorry 
for her. 

“Aunt Julia,” she protested, “if only you 
wouldn’t be so upset!” 

“What, in Heaven’s name, do you expect me 
to be?” exclaimed Mrs. Warrington agitatedly, 
“with you, on your wedding day, trying to run 
away — ^with another man.” 

“I will run!” said Sadie, with determina- 
tion, and she looked wrathfully at the Prince. 
“Don’t think that by locking the door, and 
cutting off the bell, you’ll keep Jim away from 
me.” 

“Let him come here — let him try!” The 
Prince clenched his hands. “I give him an- 
other black eye. ’ ’ 

“I shall never forgive you for striking Jim, 


NOT YET— BUT WE WILL! 127 


never. Sadie, enraged at the remembrance 
of it, turned indignantly away. 

‘‘To think,’’ exclaimed Mrs. Warrington, 
“that I should have lived to see a fight — a fist 
fight — in my house ! ’ ’ 

“It wasn’t enough to strike Jim,” Sadie 
turned back to the Prince, “you had to try to 
throw him downstairs. And then — to drag me 
here, the way you did — ^by physical force I ’ ’ 

Of course, the Prince hadn’t dragged her. 
He had picked her up and carried her — which 
was even worse. If she had been dragged she 
could have felt like a heroine. But to be car- 
ried ! It was ignominy. 

“What you expect!” demanded the Prince, 
and he was indignant, too, “when you tell me, to 
my face, that you and Wakeley intend to — you 
know what you said!” 

“And we will!” declared Sadie, with deter- 
mination. “We haven’t yet, but we will!” 

“Sadie!” gasped Mrs. Warrington, “don’t 


128 SADIE DOVE 

say such things!^’ The Prince turned upon 
her. 

‘‘Why you let that man stay in your house?” 

“Let him?” cried Mrs. Warrington exasper- 
atedly, “I had nothing to say about it. He 
stayed, without being asked. They all stayed 
without being asked. I never had such a house- 
party. None of them invited — and everybody 
wanting to marry somebody else — if not some- 
thing worse.” And she looked at Sadie. 

“There couldnT be anything worse,” replied 
Sadie, with a withering glance at the Prince. 
Then she remarked : ‘ ‘ The others, at least, have 
the advantage of being fed!” She looked a 
perfect martyr as she said it. 

“Is it my fault you do not eat?” demanded 
the Prince, in desperation. 

“Absolutely,” declared Sadie. “I told you 
— ^while I^m shut in here, not a morsel of food 
passes my lips. If anything happens to me, 
you’re to blame. Something probably will 
happen. I’m not very strong. (Looking, 


NOT YET— BUT WE WILLI 129 


of course, tlie picture of Lealtli, as slie said 
it.) 

^ ^ What you try to do ? Drive me mad f ’ ’ cried 
the Prince, despairingly. ‘‘I keep you here be- 
cause I must — to save you from yourself — ” 

‘ ‘ I don ^t want to be saved, ’ ^ interrupted Sa- 
die. ‘^Go and save your twin soul I And 
then, as there was a knock on the door, “You 
don’t need to. She’s come to save youJ^ 

The door opened, and, sure enough, in came 
the Comtesse. She was not the first to enter, 
though. Lillah led the way. Lillah always 
did lead the way. She looked austerely hand- 
some — a sort of Joan of Arc of matrimony. 
Sadie Love says she always felt like handing 
Lillah Wakeley a banner. Sadie Love also says 
that every hour that Lillah remained in the 
house her hair grew redder and redder. (Lil- 
lah ’s hair, of course.) And if you appear to 
doubt this, Sadie Love will point out to you 
that if hair can turn white, overnight, there’s 
no reason in the world why it shouldn’t turn 


130 


SADIE DOVE 


redder during an afternoon and evening. How- 
ever that may be, Lillah came in now, with a 
decided militant air, and her hair did look sur- 
prisingly red. And behind her came the Com- 
tesse, wonderfully refreshed after her long nap. 
Her make-up had all been nicely re-applied, and 
she wore a perfect ‘‘cat-that-ate-the-canary^’ 
expression. Sadie, observing it, felt uneasy. 
The last time that she had seen the Comtesse, 
in the afternoon, that lady had been terribly 
upset, because the Prince had announced that 
he would not let Sadie divorce him — which had 
meant, of course, that the Comtesse wouldnT 
be able to marry him. But now something had 
happened. The Comtesse ^s mind was obviously 
at ease. She fairly purred. 

Mumfy, who trailed after the Comtesse, had 
an expectant air. One could see that he an- 
ticipated putting more things down. 

Lillah gave Sadie the frostiest of nods — and 
Sadie gave her a frostier one. 

asked these ladies and Mr. Crewe to come 


NOT YET— BUT WE WILL! 131 


here,’’ explained Mrs. Warrington, agitatedly, 
to Sadie. “Something mnst he done at once 
to pnt an end to this situation. I can’t stand 
it any longer.” 

Sadie glanced around the room. “If you’re 
going to have a — general council of war,” she 
said, “where’s Jim? He’s as much concerned 
in this as anyone. Where is he? What have 
you done with him ? ’ ’ 

“If you must know,” replied Lillah, haugh- 
tily, “ I ’ve locked him up I ” 

Sadie gasped at that. “Is this a country 
home,” she demanded, “or a penitentiary?” 

“It seems,” said the Prince, dryly, “to com- 
bine the advantages of both.” 

“You locked him up,” Sadie turned indig- 
nantly upon Lillah, “with his poor black eye.” 

“She could not lock him up without it,” re- 
monstrated the Prince. Lillah, growing red- 
der and more frigid every minute, addressed 
herself to Sadie. (You may not understand 
how anyone can grow red and frigid simulta- 


132 


SADIE LOVE 


neously ; you may protest that it is contrary to 
the laws of physics. And so it may be — ^but it 
isn’t contrary to Lillah Wakeley.) 

came here,” said Lillah, ^Ho learn what 
you propose to do T ’ 

have not changed my intentions,” replied 
Sadie, defiantly. ‘^In spite of the fact that you 
won’t free Jim — in spite of the fact that you,” 
and she turned to the Prince, ‘‘refuse to di- 
vorce me — ” 

“ I do not ! ’ ’ interrupted the Prince. ‘ ‘ When 
I say, this afternoon, that we will not divorce, 
I speak without thinking. If we do not di- 
vorce, I cannot marry Marise. ’ ’ 

“And eet ees zat, Madame,” purred the Com- 
tesse, “zat he wish to do!” And then Sadie 
understood why the Comteses had come in with 
that cat-that-ate-the-canary expression. She 
had, evidently, had a talk with the Prince, and 
the Prince had changed his mind ! Sadie turned 
upon him. 

‘ ‘ May I ask, ’ ’ she demanded, ‘ ‘ since you don ’t 


NOT YET— BUT WE ,WILL! 133 


want to stay married to me — ^just wliy do yon 
keep me shnt np hereT’ 

^‘To protect you/’ replied the Prince, haugh- 
tily, ^‘from that man Wakeley — ^who is not free 
to marry you. ’ ’ 

‘^And he won’t he free!” pronounced Lillah, 
with determination. feel it’s my duty to 
remain Jim’s wife. I’m going to redeem 
him.” 

‘^It would be more to the point to reduce 
him,” said Sadie. 

And then the Comtesse had the effrontery to 
turn to Sadie and exclaim, *^Princesse — soyez 
genereuse. Give him up to her I ’ ’ 

won’t give him up !” cried Sadie Love, in- 
dignantly, ‘^I’m getting tired of giving people 
up! First you want me to give up my hus- 
band. Now you want me to give up someone 
else's husband ! No one gives up any husbands 
to me. Whom do I get? Mr. Crewe?” 

‘‘Oh — Comtesse!” exclaimed Mumfy, pleas- 
antly surprised, and he beamed all over. 


134 


SADIE LOVE 


Lillah, to bring the discussion back to the 
capital point, turned to Sadie with a frigidity 
that had become positively Polar : 

‘ ^ Your attitude, then, is the same 1 ^ ^ 

Jim and I told you, this afternoon, what we 
propose to do,’^ said Sadie Love, ^^and well 
do it!^’ 

^‘Till you propose to do something else,” 
declared the Prince, ‘‘you stay — ^locked up!” 

“Then,” said Sadie, defiantly, “you 11 have 
to keep me locked up indefinitely.” 

“Then,” retorted the Prince, “we will keep 
you locked up — ” and he tried to say “indefi- 
nitely, ’ ’ but that was a new word for him, and 
he got quite hopelessly mixed in it, and had 
to give it up. 

“In order to — safeguard the interests of all 
concerned,” said Lillah, with icy dignity, 
“Mumfy will occupy a couch in Jim’s room 
to-night!” (Mumfy, at this, looked decidedly 
uncomfortable.) “Mrs. Warrington, I will ask 
you to — ^pass the night with the Princess.” 


NOT YET— BUT WE ,WILL! 135 


(Aunt Julia didn^t look exactly rejoiced either, 
but she didn’t venture to protest, any more than 
Mumfy bad.) Sadie Love, however, found a 
word to say. But then, Sadie always did. 

‘‘Do you think,” and she confronted the 
Prince and Lillah, “that you can keep Jim and 
me locked up, and — ^under guard — forever?” 

“It will not be necessary!” Lillah looked 
irritatingly confident. 

“If you think,” replied Sadie, indignantly, 
“that we’ll weaken, you’re very much mis- 
taken. ’ ’ 

‘ ‘ Jim will 1 ’ ’ declared Lillah, and her expres- 
sion of haughty confidence grew even more pro- 
nounced. “Jim’s bound to weaken. I’m not 
feeding him.” 

“ Oh ! ” cried Sadie Love, horrified. ‘ ‘ That^si 
barbarous!” She turned to Mumfy. “You’re 
going to be shut up with Jim — and he’s not 
being fed. Jim will eat him alive.” This last, 
with emphatic conviction, to Lillah. 

“Perhaps,” suggested Mumfy, obviously dis- 


136 


SADIE LOVE 


turbed, to Lillab, better take something in 
— a sandwich, or a bottle of olives. ’ ’ 

you don’t take something in,” predicted 
Sadie, ‘‘you won’t come out/^ She turned once 
more to Lillah. “Mrs. Wakeley,” she said, 
“Jim is the kind that has to be fed! He’ll go 
mad, or blow up, or something. ’ ’ 

“The responsibility,” retorted Lillah, icily, 
“rests absolutely with you. As long as you 
persist in the stand you are taking, you can 
tell yourself — ^you are starving Jim, inch by 
inch. ’ ’ 

‘ ‘ Inch by inch, ’ ’ repeated Sadie. ‘ ‘ That will 
take a long time!” And then her face lit up. 
“Oh!” she exclaimed, “he’ll get thinner, won’t 
he? You’re not starving him, you’re reducing 
him ! ’ ’ 

“Mumfy,” said Lillah, pretending to ignore 
Sadie’s remark, but growing redder and red- 
der, “when Jim is asleep go through his pock- 
ets. He used to have a key-ring, with a skele- 
ton key. ’ ’ 


NOT YET— BUT WE WILL! 137 


^‘That’s unjust,’’ protested Sadie. ^^Jim 
couldn’t have a skeleton anything.” 

Lillah, quite crimson now, went out, in a gla- 
cial rage, with Mumfy in her wake. He ven- 
tured a timidly ardent glance at Sadie as he 
departed. 

The Prince looked as if he would have liked 
to stay, to speak with Sadie, but the Comtesse 
said that she didn’t feel strong enough to walk 
alone, so he had to accompany her. So did Mrs. 
Warrington, whom the Comtesse wished to con- 
sult about moving to another suite. Zozo, 
the Comtesse said, had been behaving very 
strangely. He seemed uneasy. She wasn’t 
sure, but she thought it might be because there 
were birds on the wall-paper in her bedroom. 

‘‘Put him in with Jim and Mr. Crewe,” rec- 
ommended Sadie, “and let them all be uneasy 
together. ’ ’ 

They went out — all but Sadie Love. She 
couldn’t go out, because they locked her in 
again. Left alone, she stamped her feet, then 


138 


SADIE LOVE 


sat down on tlie cliaise-longne, and prepared 
to cry lier eyes out, from sheer rage — and hun- 
ger. But she had no more than started when 
she was interrupted. 

For it was then that she saw Jim on the rope, 
outside her window I 



He was making wild efforts to land on the little balcony. 



CHAPTEE IX 

THE WAY THE POBTEES DO 

Sadie Love maintains that what first drew her 
attention to Jim was an exceedingly reprehensi- 
ble ejaculation which escaped him. This Jim 
denies, though he admits that he may have said 
something. As he points out, he could hardly 
be blamed if he did. At the moment when Sadie 
Love, turning round on the chaise-longue, per- 
ceived him, he was convinced that the rope was 
breaking, and he was making wild efforts to 
land on the little balcony upon which one of 
the French windows of Sadie’s boudoir opened. 
After a desperate minute he did finally get 
his foot onto the edge of the balcony railing, 
and half dropped, half fell, into the room. He 
was breathless, and his hair was standing on 
end, and he had a bandage over one eye. 

^ ^ Jimmy I ’ ’ 


139 


140 


SADIE LOVE 


Sadie, by now, as yon may believe, was off 
the cbais e-longue. 

‘‘Sadie!” exclaimed Jim. He seemed sur- 
prised to see ber, which was rather queer. She 
thought he must have known that this was her 
room. Why else should he have slid down to 
it? But when he got his breath he explained 
that he hadn^t suspected that she was in there. 
He had meant to slide all the way down to the 
ground, but he thought he felt the rope giving, 
and so he had swung onto the balcony, and in 
through the window, without stopping to find 
out whose room it was. 

“To think,” exclaimed Sadie Love, “that 
youVe been right over my head, all this time, 
and I never knew it! But, Jimmy dear — how 
did you get a rope?” 

“Made it from the bed-clothes,” replied Jim. 

“Oh!” cried Sadie. “How splendid!” She 
beamed at him, and Jim quite puffed up with 
pride. “And what did you mean to do, when 
you got down to the ground?” 


THE WAY THE POETEES DO 141 


‘‘Find out where your room was, get hold 
of a ladder, and put it up for you. ’ ^ 

“For meT’ exclaimed Sadie, taken aback. 

“Why — ^we’re going away together, aren^t 
weT’ demanded Jim, “to Bermuda, or China, 
or somewhere ? ^ ^ 

Sadie, to tell the truth, had rather forgotten 
about that, but she remembered it now, and 
made up her mind all over again. 

“We will go, Jim ! ’ ’ she declared. ‘ ‘ He says, 
now, that he wants a divorce ! Idl give him 
grounds! We will go!’’ She went over to the 
French window, and out onto the balcony, and 
began examining the rope. 

“But — how can we go?” demanded Jim, 
alarmed. “You don’t mean — down that 
thing?” and he pointed to the rope. (Not that 
he expected that Sadie would slide down it. 
But he was afraid that she’d expect him to.) 
“It was giving!” he declared. “I could feel 
it giving!” 

“Nonsense, Jim. It’s all right. See!” and 


142 


SADIE LOVE 


she jerked the rope, to show him. She seemed 
quite sure that it was all right, hut then, of 
course, she wasn’t going to slide down it! She 
was quite happily excited about it, and told 
him where he could find a ladder (there was one 
belonging to the painters, at the back of the 
house) . He could put the ladder up for her, and 
then she would come down, too, and they’d bolt 
for the garage, pop into Aunt Julia’s car, and 
away they ’d go ! ^ ^ You can run a machine, can ’t 
you, Jim?” she finished up. 

‘‘Not if I break my neck first!” said Jim, 
gloomily. 

“Oh, we must hurry,” cried Sadie, excitedly. 
“Just a minute, till I fix my trunk.” And she 
began picking up things, and putting them in 
the steamer trunk. 

“Your trunk?” Jim stared at her. 

“I couldn’t go away without a trunk,” said 
Sadie. “I never went anywhere without a 
trunk.” And she went on packing, as if that 
settled it. 


THE WAY THE POETERS DO 143 


‘ ‘ But, ^ ^ asked Jim, blankly, ‘ ‘ bow can we take 
a trunk? 

“Drop it out the window, of course,’’ said 
Sadie Love. “You can carry it to the machine. 
All the hotel porters do.” 

“I’m not a hotel porter,” protested Jim. 

“You’re a great, big, strong man,” said Sa- 
die Love, reprovingly. 

“Well — yes,” admitted Jim, grudgingly, 
^ ‘ but I ’m delicate ! And I ’m half starved I Did 
they give you anything to eat?” 

“They tried to,” said Sadie, “but I wouldn’t 
touch a thing. I’m on a hunger strike.” 

“You refused food?” exclaimed Jim, and he 
looked at her with eyes of wonder. To be exact, 
he looked at her with one eye of wonder! The 
other eye was bandaged. Then he sneezed, and 
that disarranged the bandage, and the wounded 
eye was revealed in all its black and blueness. 

“Oh! Your poor eye!” exclaimed Sadie. 
(But she went right on packing.) 

“Lillah didn’t put the beefsteak on, after 


144 


SADIE LOVE 


all/^ confided Jim, ‘‘I guess slie must have been 
afraid that I^d soak up some nourishment from 
itJ^ 

‘^Does it hurt?^^ queried Sadie, sympatheti- 
cally, gazing at the eye. 

^^It hasn’t any feeling at all,” said Jim. 

Maybe it’s dead,” suggested Sadie, and 
then she exclaimed, ^ ‘ Oh, Jim — what would you 
have done if Luigi had thrown you down the 
stairs ? ’ ’ 

‘^Broken the stairs,” replied Jim, with great 
promptness. 

We ’ll punish him for that black eye,” de- 
clared Sadie, with determination. We ’ll give 
him a merry chase ! ’ ’ 

‘‘You don’t think he’ll follow us!” queried 
Jim, uneasily. He was at the door, listening, 
to see if he could hear anyone approaching. 

“Of course he’ll follow us,” replied Sadie 
Love; “he’ll leave the Comtesse and follow 
us. That’s why I’m going.” 


THE WAY THE POETEES DO 145 


that the only reason you’re going?” 
asked Jim, taken aback. 

‘^No — of course not,” replied Sadie, but then 
she added: wonder if he’ll be able to trace 

us?” 

‘‘Perhaps it would help him,” suggested Jim, 
sardonically, “if we left marks along the 
road ! ’ ’ 

“We might do that,” said Sadie, reflectively. 

“Look here!” demanded Jim, wrathfully, “is 
this an elopement, or a game of hide-and- 
seek?” 

“But we want him to find us!” protested 
Sadie. 

“7 don’t want him to find us !” said Jim, with 
great positiveness. 

“But, Jim,” Sadie pointed out, “unless he 
finds us, how can we punish him? Can’t you 
imagine it — the scene — when he does find us 
together, at my cousin’s?” 

“Your cousin’s?” Jim looked blank. “I 


146 SADIE LOVE 

thought we were going to Bermuda, or China, 
or somewhere/’ 

^^Oh — Jim!” Sadie Love looked quite 

shocked. ^^We must have a chaperone.” 

‘‘A chaperone?” repeated Jim, astounded. 
‘ ^ On this sort of an expedition ? ’ ’ 

cousin’s house,” said Sadie Love, not 
heeding his remark, ‘^stands on a little hill, 
at Eoslyn. When we see Luigi coming up the 
drive, ’ ’ — she got so excited, at the thought, that 
she began to throw things into the trunk any 
old way — ‘^when we see Luigi coming up the 
drive, we’ll lock ourselves in a room — ^ydu and 
I!” 

‘‘And the chaperone!” said Jim. 

“Luigi will find the room,” went on Sadie, 
breathlessly, “he’ll pound on the door — She’ll 
storm — he’ll rage! And then I'll say, ‘Yes — 
I’m here — with Jim — in his arms !’ ” 

“With a chaperone!” said Jim. 

“He’ll give a cry,” exclaimed Sadie, dramati- 
cally, “like a wild beast, foiled of its prey. 


THE WAY THE PORTERS DO 147 


And then/^ breathlessly, ‘^hedl begin to force 
the door.’’ Jim, at that, couldn’t help looking 
at the boudoir door, and his one good eye 
looked big enough for two. We ’ll pile every- 
thing against it,” continued Sadie, tensely, 
^‘chairs, tables — ” 

‘‘The chaperone!” exclaimed Jim, involun- 
tarily. 

“It’s no use! It yields! It crashes! He’s 
in the room ! He has you by the throat ! Jim ! ’ ’ 
in a climax of emotion, “he’ll kill you!” 

“Let’s go to China!” said Jim, weakly, and 
all the strength seemed to go out of his legs, 
and he sat down abruptly. 

“There!” cried Sadie, triumphantly, “it’s 
ready ! ’ ’ and she locked the trunk. Jim got up 
at that and went over to the trunk, and tried 
to pick it up by the straps. 

“No, no! Don’t hug it!” protested Sadie. 
“Swing it over your shoulder — the way the 
porters do.” 

Jim obeyed, heroically, swinging it so sue- 


148 


SADIE LOVE 


cessfully that it hanged against the small of 
his back. Stifling a groan, he staggered with 
his burden to the French window. There he 
turned around, and backing out the window, 
onto the balcony, rested the trunk on the bal- 
cony railing. Then he squirmed around so that 
he was facing the trunk again. He stopped to 
take breath. 

‘ ‘ Hurry, Jim ! ^ ’ urged Sadie, agitatedly. ^ ‘ If 
Luigi should come, he^d kill you here!^^ 

At that, the trunk promptly slipped from 
Jim’s grasp, and disappeared over the side of 
the balcony. There was a muffled thud as it 
struck the ground below. 

‘^Here, Jim,” and Sadie locked the hat- 
trunk. 

‘‘Don’t you want to take the furniture?” 
puffed Jim, as he came over for the hat-trunk. 
And then, when he had it poised on the balcony 
railing, Sadie suddenly said, in a thrilling 
whisper : 

“Jim! Drop it softly!” Jim turned and 


THE WAY THE POBTERS DO 149 


looked at her with a long-suffering expression. 
‘^How in hoity-toity,’’ he demanded, ^‘am I 
going to drop it softly?” 

mean,” explained Sadie, don’t let it hit 
the other trunk ! ’ ’ 

Jim let go of the hat-trunk. A moment after 
there was a loud thud. 

‘‘Oh,” said Sadie, “it did hit!” Jim turned 
to her, with an expression of the direst con- 
sternation. 

“Oh, Lord, Sadie!” he breathed agitatedly, 
“I just thought of something. If I fall now 
I won’t land on the ground. I’ll hit those 
trunks.” 

“Don’t think of such things!” reproved Sa- 
die, and she added, encouragingly: “You’ll he 
down there all right, in a minute.” 

“Oh, I’ll be down there, all right,” replied 
Jim, expressively, and he yanked on the rope. 

“If you feel the rope giving,” said Sadie 
Love, “can’t you sort of — swing out — and fill 
your body with air?” 


150 


SADIE LOVE 


‘^And then have it knocked out of me! I’m 
not a trapeze performer.” Jim looked plump- 
ly exasperated. 

‘‘If anything happens to you,” Sadie reas- 
sured him, “I can run the machine.” 

“Don’t be so awfully cheerful,” said Jim, 
who now had one leg over the balcony railing. 
He was holding onto the rope, and he continued 
to hold onto it, and to sit there, on the railing, 
with one leg over it, but he didn’t get any 
farther. 

“What are you waiting for?” demanded Sa- 
die, impatiently. 

“I’m saying my prayers,” answered Jim. 
Then he gave the rope a jerk, and groaned: 
‘ ‘ It won ’t hold. I know it won ’t ! ” 

“Oh, go on, Jim,” Sadie implored, agitatedly, 
“if Luigi comes in and finds you here, he’ll 
give you another black eye. ’ ’ 

“He can only give me one more! If I fall 
down there I ’ll be all black eye. ’ ’ But he swung 
his other leg over the balcony and said, with 


THE WAT THE POETEES DO 151 


an attempt at heroic jauntiness, ‘^Well — here 
goes.’’ 

^^Oh, Jim!” cried Sadie, alarmed now, ‘^do 
be careful.” 

‘‘If anything happens to me,” said Jim, 
“send plenty of white lilacs.” 

“I can’t look!” shuddered Sadie, quite over- 
come, turning away. 

“You’d better,” retorted Jim, “it may be 
your last chance!” Sadie Love, at that, sud- 
denly turned back to him. But it wasn’t for a 
last look. 

‘ ‘ Jim ! ’ ’ she exclaimed, ‘ ‘ we ’ve got my trunks 
and everything — ^but how in the world are we 
going to get MikeyT’ 

Jim maintains that that was the last straw, 
which broke the camel’s back. But Sadie Love 
says that that is all nonsense, and that if Jim 
had made the rope properly nothing would 
have happened. However, the fact remains 
that, the moment Sadie pronounced the name 
of Mikey, Jim’s legs forsook the comparative 


152 


SADIE LOVE 


terra firma of the balcony, and he began to slide 
down the rope. Sadie had thought that she 
couldn’t look, but she found, now, that she 
couldn’t help looking. She rushed to the bal- 
cony railing, and, leaning over it, watched, 
with frightened fascination, as Jim began his 
slow and cautious descent. He had gone only 
a foot or two when the rope began to turn 
around and around. And of course Jim, be- 
ing attached to the rope, began to turn, too. 
He gasped out something which Sadie couldn’t 
quite catch. She quavered down to him: ^‘Oh, 
Jim — ^will it help if I hold the ropeT’ 

‘ ‘ Hold the rope ! ’ ’ gasped back Jim. ^ ‘ Hold 
the thought ! Hold anything you can ! ’ ’ 

Sadie started to, but Jim suddenly began re- 
volving on the rope, faster than ever, and slid- 
ing down, with extraordinary rapidity. And 
then something dreadful happened. Just as 
Sadie made a desperate clutch at the rope, there 
was a peculiar, tearing sound, and the rope 
parted, before her very eyes. She found herself 


THE WAY THE POETERS DO 153 


hanging on to the end of it, which now reached 
only to the balcony window. The rest of the 
rope, and Jim, landed, with a thud, somewhere 
below. Of course it was Jim, and not the rope, 
which made the thud. And it was such a very 
loud thud that Sadie knew, instinctively, what 
had happened. 

‘‘Right onto the trunks!” she gasped, not 
daring to look over the balcony railing. “Oh I 
And they’re such hard trunks.” 

It had to he then, of all times, that a knock 
came on the boudoir door. 

“Jim!” exclaimed Sadie, in a hoarse whis- 
per, leaning weakly against the balcony rail- 
ing, hut still not daring to look over, “Jim — ■ 
if you’re alive, don’t make any noise. Don’t 
come up — till I open the window. ’ ’ 

She did summon courage enough, then, to give 
one glance downward. She saw Jim picking 
himself up. She got an awful impression that 
he was doing it piece by piece — ^but still, that 
was better than nothing. Then, with her knees 


154 


SADIE LOVE 


very unsteady, she tottered back into the bou- 
doir, closing the French windows behind her, 
as the boudoir door opened, and the Prince 
came into the room. He was pushing before 
him a tea-table on wheels. On the table was a 
daintily set supper for two. Sadie Love, as 
she perceived it, became suddenly and acutely 
conscious that she was hungrier than she had 
ever been in all her life. 

And it flashed through her mind how terrible 
it would be if she should sit down and eat that 
supper, with Jim down below, under the win- 
dow, picking himself up in pieces. 


CHAPTER X 

A LITTLE SUPPER 

Sadie didn’t sit down and eat that supper (at 
least, not jnst then), and she always points to 
this* as an evidence of her heroic self-control, 
and her deep devotion to Jim. What she did 
do (after one fleeting, ravenous glance at the 
table) was to draw herself up haughtily, and 
look as if she had never thought of such a thing 
as food, and, what was more, never would. The 
Prince* informs me, however, that, in spite of 
Sadie’s efforts, she could not keep her wholly 
delightful nose from sniffing, slightly, and that 
he saw her swallow hungrily, twice, in rapid 
succession. 

‘‘Sadie,” he began, “I bring you up a little 
supper.” But Sadie elevated her head and 
turned away from him — and the supper ! Then 
155 


156 


SADIE LOVE 


the Prince began following her around the 
room, and so did the supper, which was cer- 
tainly an aggravation. ( ^ ‘ It was just like him, ^ ^ 
says Sadie Love, indignantly, referring to the 
incident, ‘‘to bring a perambulating meal with 
him.’’) But after the Prince and the supper 
had pursued Sadie all around the boudoir a 
couple of times, the Prince pleading volubly for 
her to eat something, and the supper saying 
nothing, but making an even more impressive 
appeal — in the midst of all this Lillah Wake- 
ley came rushing in, looking as if she had seen 
a ghost. She was followed by Mumfy, who 
looked as if he had seen nothing at all. But 
then that was his habitual expression. 

“Is he here?” she cried, and she glanced 
wildly around. Then, as the Prince asked 
blankly, “Who?” she exclaimed: “Jim, of 
course. I just went to his room — to lock Mumfy 
in with him — and he’s gone! I thought he 
might have come here! Oh!” she seemed quite 
breathless with relief, ‘ ‘ Thank Heaven ! I was 


A LITTLE SUPPER 


157 


afraid I miglit be — too late ! ’ ^ and sbe glanced 
expressively at Sadie. 

‘‘Princess/’ Mumfy, turning to Sadie, per- 
mitted a slight shade of anxiety to cross his 
face, “he’s not been here! We’re not — ^too 
late?” He produced his pencil and tablet, to 
be ready for any emergency. 

“Has he been here?” demanded Lillah, her 
suspicions reawakened by Mumfy ’s question. 
Sadie said nothing. (After all, as she points 
out, she couldn’t tell a point-blank lie.) Lillah, 
her revived suspicions confirmed by this silence, 
marched over to the bedroom, and without so 
much as “By your leave,” flung open the door, 
and looked in. Then she went over to the 
clothes-closet door, and opened it, and looked 
in there. Sadie Love, of course, was mightily 
affronted by all this; but still, no real harm 
had been done. But when Lillah turned her 
attention to the balcony, and went over to the 
French window, with her grenadier stride, and 
threw it open, and Jim, down below, thinking 


158 


SADIE LOVE 


tliat this was the signal for him to come np, gave 
forth a cautious, knowing whistle, in response — 
then Sadie Love knew that a great deal of harm 
had been done, and that the fat was in the fire. 
(No — that does not refer to Jim.) 

Sadie Love, to this day, cannot understand 
how Jim managed to get hold of that ladder in 
such a hurry. She throws all the blame upon 
him. She says that if he hadn’t rushed mat- 
ters so — if he had only been as deliberate about 
getting the ladder as he had been about sliding 
down the rope — ^he would have been at the back 
of the house when Lillah opened the French 
window, and then he couldn’t have mistaken her 
for Sadie, and thought it was a signal, and 
whistled an answer, and given the whole thing 
away! But Jim (of course, there are always 
two sides to everything), Jim says that it isn’t 
his fault if he moves rapidly and intelligently, 
and that he tumbled over the ladder when he 
came around the side of the house, so he 


A LITTLE SUPPER 


159 


couldn T very well help finding it, and that after 
Sadie Love had told him that the opening of 
the window wonld he the signal for him to come 
up, she should have kept it shut till she was 
alone again. 

And as for Sadie saying (as she did) that he 
had no business coming up that ladder so soon, 
anyhow, when he hadn’t got the machine out 
of the garage yet, Jim points out that there 
was no use getting the machine out and making 
a lot of noise, before Sadie was there, ready 
to get in the machine. To this, Sadie replies 
that Jim should at least have carried her trunks 
to the automobile (the way the hotel porters 
do) before he came chasing up that ladder. 
But Jim says the less said about those trunks, 
the better, and that if Sadie Love had landed 
in as many places at once, on those blankety- 
blank things as he did, she’d never again be 
able to face anything bigger than a traveling 
bag, without turning pale, and feeling queer 


160 


SADIE LOVE 


along her spine. Bnt of course all this argu- 
ment does not alter the fatal fact that Jim did 
come up the ladder. 

After that low, responsive whistle, there was 
a gasp from every one in the boudoir, and then 
a deathly pause. Lillah and the Prince looked 
at Sadie, and so did Mumfy, who took a firmer 
grasp on his note-book. Mrs. Wakeley says that 
guilt was written on Sadie’s face, but Sadie 
contradicts this and maintains that it was only 
apprehension. For she saw the top of a ladder 
appear against the balcony railing, and she 
knew that Jim would be coming up that ladder, 
and be caught, and that then they couldn’t go 
to Bermuda, or China, or even to her cousin’s 
at Eoslyn. She confesses also to a sudden fear 
that Jim would eat her supper, before anyone 
could stop him. 

As soon as the top of the ladder appeared, the 
Prince, looking like a very handsome (Italian) 
tiger, reached out his hand and switched off the 
electric light. Sadie Love held her breath (be- 


A LITTLE SUPPER 


161 


cause she didn’t know what else to do). Jim 
thinks she ought to have warned him, by scream- 
ing, or something, but Sadie says that if she 
had, he might have fallen off the ladder and 
landed on those trunks again, and then he never 
would have forgiven her. Anyhow, she didn’t 
scream. She just kept on holding her breath, 
and everyone else kept on holding his or her 
breath — and Jim came up the ladder! 

It was certainly very dramatic — quite like 
a scene in a play. The room was dark, save 
for the moonlight. Everyone was tensely still. 
There was what seemed a very long pause, 
then first Jim’s head and shoulders, and after 
that his whole body, appeared, silhouetted 
against the moonlight. Just as he reached the 
top of the ladder, and crawled over the bah 
cony railing, his foot slipped and struck against 
the ladder, and it slid scrapingly along the bal- 
cony, and fell to the ground. 

‘‘Confound it!” exclaimed Jim, “there goes 
the ladder!” He paused for a moment on the 


162 


SADIE LOVE 


balcony, and peered into the darkness of the 
boudoir. ‘‘Sadie he whispered, “Sadie 
dear I and he came into the room. The 
Prince switched on the light. “My Lord!’^ 
cried Jim, startled, perceiving who was there, 
‘ ‘ The whole damned family 1 ’ ’ 

The others, for a moment, could only stare 
at him. His bandage was all askew, his hair 
stood more than ever on end, his clothes were 
torn and bedraggled, and his face was all 
smudgy. He looked, as Sadie said later, “like 
a plump pirate.’^ 

“Jim Wakeley!’^ exclaimed Lillah, in awful 
tones, and she pointed to the door. At the same 
moment the Prince advanced threateningly to- 
wards him. 

“Jim!’’ cried Sadie, alarmed, hastily inter- 
posing, “you’d better go.” 

“If I do,” replied Jim with dignity, “it’s 
simply to avoid another — scene. ’ ’ And his hand 
went up, involuntarily, to his damaged eye. 
Then he turned ferociously upon the Prince. 


A LITTLE SUPPER 


163 


“ILI werenT your wife’s Aunt’s guest,” he ex- 
claimed, ‘‘I’d throw you out the window ! ” As 
if this weren’t enough, he brazenly added : “ We 
haven’t yet, hut we will!” The Prince, at that, 
looked as if he were going to make a leap at 
Jim, and slay him, then and there. Perhaps 
Jim, at this point, decided that discretion 
was the better part of valor. At any rate, 
he started to go out. Just then he per- 
ceived the table, with the supper on it. Sadie, 
who at that moment was standing directly be- 
side the table, declares that when Jim saw that 
supper a positively wolfish expression came into 
his eyes, and that he started, straightway, to- 
ward the food. Jim, however, protests that he 
merely went over to speak to Sadie. He cer- 
tainly did say to her, “Good-night for the pres- 
ent — dearest!” But the fact remains that, as 
he passed the table, on the way out, he made a 
sudden grab and captured the biggest sand- 
wich. 

“I’ll lock him up again!” exclaimed Lillah, 


164 


SADIE LOVE 


in a rage, ‘‘and Mumfy with him!” and she 
rushed after Jim. Mumfy followed her with 
evident reluctance, murmuring something about 
giving Jim a box of sardines, or a sleeping pow- 
der, if he had to be shut up with him. 

The Prince, alone with Sadie now, suddenly 
exploded with rage. He rushed up to her, and 
stood towering over her, and hissed out some- 
thing, between his remarkably fine teeth, about 
beating her. When Sadie defiantly answered 
that neither he nor any other Caesar Borgia 
could keep her away from the man she loved, 
he gripped her by the hands so wrathfully, and 
with such unheeding strength, that she cried 
out with pain, as her rings ground into her 
flesh. Then the Prince, overcome, was all com- 
punction, and begged her to forgive him, end 
tried to caress “the little hands.” But Sadie, 
tearful with pain, wouldn’t let him, and when 
he stammered out excuses, she told him to go 
and leave her in her misery. She couldn’t talk 
to him, or anyone else. She was too weak to 


A LITTLE SUPPER 


165 


talk. She hadn’t had any breakfast, she’d been 
too excited to eat any luncheon, she’d missed 
her tea, and she hadn’t had any dinner. This 
last came out in a perfect wail of distress, which 
unnerved the Prince completely. 

‘‘Sadie!” he implored her, “try it — the lit- 
tle supper — just a bite.” 

But Sadie declared that while she was shut 
up there she’d keep to her hunger strike if it 
killed her, and it probably would, and if he 
came in in the morning and found her dead he 
wouldn’t have to bother about a divorce, or even 
about burying her, for Jim would do that, and 
that she’d already planned the funeral service 
with Jim, and that there were to be loads and 
loads of white lilacs. That settled matters 
with the Prince. ‘ ‘ Until you eat the little sup- 
per,” he declared, with resolution, “I do not 
leave this room. ’ ’ 

“Do you think,” demanded Sadie, indig- 
nantly, “that you can force me into it, like that? 
I can be just as obstinate as you. I don’t care 


166 


SADIE LOVE 


if you stay here forever, I won^t touch a 
thing ! ^ ’ She gave a look at the table and swal- 
lowed twice, and then, suddenly, she came to a 
resolution. ‘‘I mil eat,’’ she exclaimed, ‘^just 
to get rid of you! I’ll eat every bit of it — 
just to get rid of you.” She went up to the 
table and surveyed it ravenously. ^^I^ll soon 
get you out of here,” she declared, with wrath- 
ful energy, and snatching up a sandwich, she 
began consuming it in enormous bites (trying 
desperately to conceal the fact that nothing had 
ever tasted so good to her in all her life). 

‘ ^ Sit down, Sadie, sensibly, ’ ’ said the Prince, 
bringing up a chair for her. 

‘^I’ll sit anyway I please,” retorted Sadie, 
indignantly (doing so), and then she went on, 
‘‘To think that I have to eat up here, like a 
prisoner, while you and the others gorged your- 
selves, comfortably, downstairs.” 

“Ah, Sadie,” protested the Prince, bringing 
a chair for himself, “after what happened to- 


A LITTLE SUPPER 


167 


day you would not have wished to dine with 
Mrs. Wakeley/’ 

^‘When I^m hungry/’ said Sadie Love, exas- 
peratedly, shaking out her napkin, ‘^I’d eat 
with the devil. ’ ’ 

‘ ‘ V ery well, ’ ’ agreed the Prince, * ^ come on, 
Sadie. Eat with the devil.” He seated him- 
self across from her. 

don’t see why you have to eat anything,” 
exclaimed Sadie, indignantly. 

At dinner,” explained the Prince, with emo- 
tion, could eat nothing. I think, all the time, 
of you, up here — without any eat. If you do 
not mind, Sadie — ?” and he helped himself to 
a sandwich. 

do. I mind most distinctly,” retorted Sa- 
die Love. 

‘‘Just imagine,” pleaded the Prince, “that I 
am not here I ’ ’ 

“I wish I could. I wish I could imagine that 
you werenH, at all.” Then she surveyed the 


168 


SADIE LOVE 


table, with hungry discontent. ^ ‘ When you were 
bringing something,’^ she demanded, ^^why 
didn’t you bring something?” Sadie Love was 
a heavenly creature, but she never was above 
an appetite. Now she was consumed by one. 

‘^That squab,” suggested the Prince, looks 
delicious. ’ ’ 

‘‘Yes,” retorted Sadie, “but it doesn’t look 
enough! I daresay that at dinner you had — ” 

‘ ‘ Oh, Sadie, ’ ’ interrupted the Prince, remem- 
bering something, “Oh, my Lor’! At dinner, 
Edward, your butler, spill the hot soup down 
poor Mrs. Wakeley’s back.” 

“Oh!” cried Sadie, and she dimpled with 
amusement, “how pleased Jim will be ! I must 
buy something nice for Edward.” 

“Maybe, some day,” remarked the Prince, 
reprovingly, “you get the hot soup spill down 
your back ! ’ ’ 

“Well,” said Sadie, “there won’t be so much 
back to spill it on,” and she turned her atten- 
tion to the salad. 


A LITTLE SUPPER 


169 


‘‘AL! The little back!’’ The Prince made 
an involuntarily caressing movement toward 
her. 

‘ ‘ Please don ’t talk to me ! ’ ’ said Sadie, haugh- 
tily, drawing away from him, and then, after 
a second’s pause, she demanded: ‘^What kind 
of soup was it?” 

‘‘Consomme.” 

Sadie looked disappointed. “I wish it had 
been thick soup,” she said, vindictively, “a 
thick bean soup — with spaghetti in it — and I 
wish he’d spilled it on all of you.” 

“Oh, Sadie!” 

“Don’t talk to me!” 

“What shall I talk to?” 

“Talk to the squab!” said Sadie. “Men 
often do.” 

“Squab!” demanded the Prince (you see, 
he had a squab, as well as Sadie). “Squab — 
will Sadie have some wine?” 

“I don’t want any wine,” replied Sadie, se- 
verely; then, as an immediate after-thought. 


170 


SADIE DOVE 


^‘but 1^11 take some. I won’t starve myself, 
to please anyone,” and she glared, beautifully, 
at the Prince. Sadie couldn ’t really glare, any 
more than a spring day could, but she did some- 
thing which she thought was glaring, and which 
made her look quite too irresistible. 

‘‘This is been most beautifully chill,” com- 
mented the Prince, as he restored the cham- 
pagne bottle to the silver ice-bucket. 

“It must have passed Lillah on the way 
up,” said Sadie, shuddering delicately on the 
name. 

“You don’t like — ^Lillah!” observed the 
Prince, sipping his champagne. 

“She isn’t the sort of first wife I’d have 
picked out,” replied Sadie, “for the man whose 
second wife I’m going to be.” And she sipped 
her champagne. 

The Prince set down his glass abruptly. 

‘ ‘ Sadie ! ” he protested, ‘ ‘ this Jim — he is not 
worthy of you.” 

“ ‘This Jim,’ ” retorted Sadie, indignantly, 


A LITTLE SUPPER 171 

‘4s a warm-liearted, whole-souled, affection- 
ate—^’ 

“I suppose he is also a slim,” interrupted the 
Prince, aggravatedly. 

“Why are you so hitter against Jim?” quer- 
ied Sadie Love, and she sipped her wine again, 
and looked across at the Prince with an expres- 
sion of the most guileless wonder. 

“When I think,” replied the Prince, “that 
you marry me — ^with the image of that man in 
your heart. ’ ’ 

“A slim image!” observed Sadie, and then 
she set her glass down, and leaned a little way 
toward the Prince. “Kindly remember,” she 
remarked, “that you had an image, too. You’d 
better be going. She’ll be coming to look for 
you. Rap, tap, tap!” She knocked on the ta- 
ble, “Ees my Luigi zere?” imitating the Com- 
tes se, in a manner which made the Prince stir 
uneasily in his chair. “Ding, dong, bell!” she 
clinked her fork against the wine-glass, “Pus- 
sy’s in the well!” 


172 


SADIE LOVE 


The Prince, of course, conldnT very well say 
anything to all this, so he returned to his pre- 
vious tack. 

^‘When I think,’’ he brooded, pained by the 
recollection, ‘‘that in all those love-a-ly days, 
when we were first together — when you seem 
to belong to me, and only me — your thoughts 
were with him!” 

‘ ‘ And where were your thoughts ? ’ ’ demanded 
Sadie, indignantly. 

“Ah, those were love-a-ly days, Sadie,” mur- 
mured the Prince, “all glorious with sunshine, 
and fragrant with spring fiowers.” 

“It rained the whole time,” said Sadie 
Love. 

“I only saw the sun, between the showers,” 
replied the Prince. “And now — after all those 
happy days — and all the dreams we dream — we 
go our way — apart.” There was a moment’s 
pause. Through it came, from the “Seaside 
Inn,” softened and mellowed by the distance, 
the melody from “The Waltz Dream,” The 


A LITTLE SUPPER 


173 


Prince leaned over to Sadie. When lie spoke 
it was almost in a whisper : 

‘‘Sadie! That valze! We danced to that, 
one night. Do you remember 1 ^ ’ 

“I do/^ said Sadie Love, “I remember dis- 
tinctly. You stepped on my feet.^^ 

“Ah, Sadie 1’^ exclaimed the Prince, softly, 
“did you never even think you careU’ 

“When you stepped on my feet? Of course 
I cared. ^ ’ And Sadie Love, having finished her 
dessert, rose from the table. 

“You know what I mean.” The Prince was 
standing, too, and he leaned toward her, over 
the table. ‘ ‘ Did you never even think you care 
— for me?” 

‘ ‘ I may have thought I did — for a while — till 
Jim came back.” She moved away from the 
table. 

“And that day we met,” exclaimed the 
Prince, ‘ ‘ I thought it was^ — love at first sight. ’ ’ 
“You should have taken a second look,” re- 
torted Sadie, over her shoulder. She went to 


174 


SADIE I.OVE 


the window, then, and stood looking out. They 
were still playing the love waltz at the hotel, 
and the little moon was lovely, and so were 
all the little stars, shining np so high. The 
Prince went over to her. 

Sadie,’’ he asked, softly, ^^do yon remem- 
ber, too, that love-a-liest day of all — out in 
the bay — ^when the fog comes np — and we are 
all alone, in onr little boat^ — ^jnst yon and I?” 

Yes,” said Sadie, ^‘and I wished we werenH 
alone! Yon didn’t know how to handle the 
sails. We almost npset.” 

‘^Conld I think of sails,” protested the 
Prince, “with Sadie there, beside me, and all 
aronnd a gray world, that shnt ns in, together? 
And then — the fog lifted. Ah, Sadie, do yon 
remember? Sunset, and evening star — and the 
new moon in the sky. ’ ’ 

“Yes,” said Sadie. Her tone was light, and 
cool, and she looked out at the moonlit garden 
as if she dared it to make her romantic. “Yes 
— saw the moon over my left shoulder. I 


A LITTLE SUPPER 175 

might have known something was going to 
happen. ’ ’ 

‘‘Sadie I” exclaimed the Prince, with an ac- 
cent of sudden discovery, looking up at the sky, 
“it was the very same moon that is shining up 
there now, so big and full. It was only a week 
ago.’^ 

“But the moon has changed,’’ said Sadie 
Love, ‘ ‘ and so have we. ’ ’ 

“Have we?” He whispered it, almost in her 
ear. He was behind her, close to her, bending 
over her. Sadie turned, and faced him. “Ah, 
Sadie I ” he murmured. He was all aglow with 
emotion. Sadie had never seen him look hand- 
somer. ‘ ‘ It seems to me, ’ ’ he said, and his voice 
had a delightful bit of unsteadiness in it, and 
a thrilly quality, against which Sadie instinct- 
ively braced herself, “it seems to me that noth- 
ing has changed — nothing except the moon — • 
and that, too, will come back again, all bright 
and new — and we will be once more together, 
in our little boat — and the moon will kiss the 


176 


SADIE LOVE 


waves — and 1 11 — ^kiss you ! ^ ' And he was about 
to do it, then and there. He had taken her 
hands in both of his, he was drawing her to 
him. 

‘‘Luigi I” exclaimed Sadie, and she freed her 
hands, and drew hack from him. “What are 
you doing? Remember,’’ she tried to pass it 
otf with a jest, “remember — I’m your wife!” 

“ I do 1 ” cried the Prince. ‘ ‘ That is just what 
I do remember. Ah! Carissima! I made a 
great mistake I I thought Marise was my — un- 
fulfil romanza — ^but now that I have seen Marise 
again, side by side with you — now that I feel 
what it would mean to lose you — ^now I know 
that there was hut one romanza — and it was 
you! Now I know that in all my life I love hut 
one woman, and she is — Sadie!” He tried 
again to embrace her, but she eluded him — she 
slipped away from the window, and the balcony, 
and came back into the safer, less romantic light 
of the room. 

“Oh, no, Luigi!” putting out her hand to 


A LITTLE SUPPER 


177 


ward him off from her, for he had followed her. 
‘‘You only think you care for me — ^because 
they^re playing a love waltz, at the hotel — and 
the smell of the roses comes in to us — and it’s 
moonlight, and June. You’re swept off your 
feet, that’s all — for a moment — ^just as you 
were before — ^just as you will be again, when 
you’re alone with — Marise.” 

“Sadie I” he pleaded. “If I make a mis- 
take once — ” 

“You’ll make it again,” interrupted Sadie, 
“but not with me. Oh, no, I thank you! Once 
was enough — quite enough — for me! I’ll not 
entrust my happiness, again, to a man who 
doesn’t know his own mind — ^who loves one 
woman one moment, and another the next I No, 
Luigi — I won ’t be your wife ! I won ’t stay your 
wife! I’m going to marry Jim/” and she went 
toward the bedroom. 

“Sadie!” he pleaded. At the door she 
turned. 

“When I do marry Jim,” she said, “will you 


178 


SADIE LOVE 


give me away? You know, you’ll be my near- 
est male relative — once removed ! ’ ’ 

And with that she went into the bedroom, clos- 
ing the door after her, and locking it. The 
Prince, after a moment, went over to the door. 

‘‘Sadie!” he exclaimed, pleadingly, “Sadie! 
Cara miaV^ There was no response. He 
turned away, baffled, indignant — rage in his 
heart. 

And then — ^he went to the Comtesse. 


CHAPTER XI 

MOONLIGHT — ^ALL THE WAY I 

It all began innocently enough. At least, the 
Prince says that it did. He maintains that 
when be left Sadie (having taken care to lock 
the boudoir door) and went to the Comtesse’s 
room, it was merely to inquire if Zozo were 
feeling better, and to wish the Comtesse good- 
night. But, though it may have been with those 
charitable and entirely proper intentions that 
he knocked at her door, something very differ- 
ent from all this transpired before he left. 

The Comtesse, in response to his rap, called 
out a dulcet ^^Entrez/^ He went in. “ Luigi 
exclaimed the Comtesse, thrillingly. She was 
reposing on her couch, in a quite unnecessarily 
becoming attitude. She extended her hand to 
him with pathetically languid grace, and, as 
he kissed the hand, she told him, with a gently 
179 


180 


SADIE LOVE 


reproachful sigh, that she was still un peu 
souffrante. The Prince was sympathetic, but 
non-committal. 

The Comtesse tried to guide the conversa- 
tion to Capri, and twin souls, and other like 
tender topics, hut the Prince seemed indis- 
posed to follow her. The Comtesse knew no 
Italian, so they spoke in English, that tongue 
being easier for the Prince than French. The 
Comtesse, besides, prided herself upon her flu- 
ency in la langue Anglais e. But, try as she 
would, she could not, upon this particular occa- 
sion, make conversation flourish. She gave it 
up, at last, and, exhausted by her efforts, leaned 
back, among her pillows. The Prince, his 
thoughts manifestly elsewhere, gazed gloomily 
into space. The orchestra, at the Seaside Inn, 
had stopped playing the love waltz, and was 
now performing the Fourth Act solo, from 
‘‘Eigoletto.’^ The Prince, to this day, declares 
that that solo was to blame for everything. 
It is certainly a fact that, the moment he be- 


MOONLIGHT~ALL THE WAY! 181 


came aware of it, he raised his head, abruptly, 
and exclaimed, to the Comtesse, ^ ‘ Ah, you hear 
what they play I La donna e mohilel Si, si! A 
wind that blows, now hot, now cold — a day 
in Spring — April weather — ^Ah, yes — that is 
woman I’ ’ 

The Comtesse did not quite get the drift of 
this, but there was no mistaking the import of 
his next remark, for the Prince, springing to 
his feet, exclaimed, with impulsive decision, ‘‘I 
sail to-night.’^ 

Luigi!’’ cried the Comtesse, startled. 

‘‘She say to me,.” and the Prince indicated 
the quarter of the house which sheltered Sadie, 
“she say, to my face, that she marry — ^with the 
fat Jim. She say that I — give her away. No I 
That she shall never see!” The Prince drew 
himself up dramatically, and his eyes flashed. 
“I go. Then, when it is too late^ — ^when she has 
only her Jim — then, she will regret.” 

“Luigi!” gasped the Comtesse. “You mecm 
zat? You — sail?” 


182 


SADIE LOVE 


“On tlie Sant^ Anna/* declared the Prince, 
“to-night 

“And — the Princess — she does not go wiz 
yon?” 

“The prmcipessa/* replied the Prince, 
wrathfnlly, “will go — ^with her Jim — to China 
' — or Sheecago ! ^ ^ 

“And yon — yon sail! Mais — Lnigi — wat of 
me?” 

“Of — ^yon?” He stared at her. Only that 
afternoon, he had been qnite snre that he was 
madly in love with the Comtesse, and now, he 
had almost forgotten abont her — at least, so 
far as his plans for the fntnre were concerned. 
And this, pray take notice, is the gentleman 
who, a moment before, was exclaiming, to the 
accompaniment of ^ ‘ Eigoletto, ’ ^ that woman is 
fickle. 

“Om, oui!** exclaimed the Comtesse. “Eef 
yon go, like zat — wat of me ? ” 

It came ont in a wail, her qnestion, and the 
Prince was tonched. He remembered, then. 


MOONLIGHT—ALL THE WAYl 183 


that she was his twin sonl, and that they could 
not live without one another. 

‘^Ah,” he exclaimed, with sudden feeling, 
‘‘you alone are faithful. In your heart is no 
— slim image. ^ ’ Then, at a leap, he came to his 
decision. “Marise!’’ he cried, “come with 
me!’’ 

“Luigi!” gasped the Comtesse. This was 
more than she had bargained for. 

“Sadie go with her Jim! Why not you with 
me?” 

“Oh — non, nonV^ the Comtesse held up her 
hands, protestingly. 

“I do not mean witlh me,” explained the 
Prince, ‘ ‘ only — on the same ship. ’ ’ 

“Mais — Luigi,” demanded the Comtesse, agi- 
tatedly, “wat would zay say?” 

“What can they say?” retorted the Prince. 
“You were to sail to-night — you have your 
ticket — ^your trunks are at the dock. If I also 
sail, are you to blame? The SanV Anna is a 
big boat. You might meet any one on her!” 


184 


SADIE LOVE 


^‘Ahl Om,oui,mais — 

‘‘And if, one fine day, yon see me, on the 
deck — ^yon cannot pnt me off. Ah, Marise — I 
will be all alone, and there will be moonlight, 
all the way I’’ 

“Lnigi! Tais toir^ commanded the Com- 
tesse agitatedly. “Yon know wat moonlight 
does wiz me.^’ 

“The band will play ^Oh sole mio/ and the 
sea will sigh np to the skyl^^ 

“Oh I Mon DieuI’^ flattered the Comtesse, 
visibly weakening. 

“Marise 1^’ whispered the Prince, and he bent 
over her. 

“She ees a very beeg boat,’' murmnred the 
Comtesse. 

“Yon will?” 

“Eef I — 'appen to meet yon, on the deck-—* 
I cannot pnt yon off I ” 

‘ ‘ Marise I ” He seized her hand. 

“Lnigi I” She looked np at him, into his 
eyes, and the Prince realized, with a shock of 


MOONLIGHT— ALL THE WAY I 185 


uneasiness, that he was expected to kiss her. 
Bnt that, somehow, he conld not bring himself 
to do. So he rushed into hurried planning of 
the ways and means by which he and the Com- 
tesse were to reach the SanV Anna, That good 
ship sailed at one in the morning; it was now 
half-past ten at night, so there was plenty of 
time. Traveling by auto, at a decent pace, one 
could make the boat in an hour and a half, 
from Mrs. Warrington ^s house. It would not 
do, of course, for the Prince and the Comtesse 
to depart simultaneously, or to travel to town 
together. Was she not to meet him, on the 
8anV Anna, quite by accident? The Comtesse 
would leave first; the Prince would this mo- 
ment command an automobile for her. He 
would follow, a little later, in another car. 
Then no one could suspect. 

‘‘Luigi!’’ breathed the Comtesse. She was 
still on the couch, but she had his hand in both 
of hers, so that he was bending over her, with 
his face very close to hers. Once more, she 


186 


SADIE LOVE 


looked as if slie expected Hm to kiss her — and, 
once more, he didn’t. 

sir^ he exclaimed, hastily, releasing his 
hand from her grasp, and straightening np. 

sir^ 

He mshed away, to telephone the garage at 
the ‘‘Seaside Inn” about the automobiles. 
Then he went to his room, and closed his travel- 
ing bag. So far, so good. 

But, after that, he took it into his head to 
go back to Sadie. 


CHAPTER XII 

LA DONNA E MOBILE 

The Comtesse points out that if the Prince had 
only stayed quietly in his room (where he be- 
longed) till it was time for him to leave the 
house, there would have been no mix-up, and no 
contretemps, and everything would have gone 
off beautifully (which it didn’t). But the 
Prince maintains that he couldn’t very well go 
away without at least bidding farewell to Sa- 
die Love. After all, she was his wife — ^his 
principessa. It was no more than right that he 
should tell her that he was leaving her, forever, 
and that he would never lock her up, any more. 

Whether or not he ought to have gone to Sa- 
die’s room again, the fact remains that he did. 
When he unlocked the door, and came into the 
boudoir, Sadie was lying on the chaise longue, 
reading a novel. She glanced up at him. 

187 


188 


SADIE LOVE 


^^You might as well understand/’ she said, 
‘‘that if you talk to me from now to dooms- 
day, it won’t do a particle of good,” and she 
returned to her book. She looked supremely 
indifferent to the Prince, and to everyone and 
everything else. 

The Prince was silent for a moment, then he 
said, “I am here — for the last time.” 

Sadie Love looked up from her novel 

“I go!” declared the Prince, dramatically, 
and, as he said it, he closed the boudoir door, 
and came over to Sadie. 

“It looks like it,” commented Sadie, caus- 
tically, and she resumed her reading. A slight, 
irrepressible smile of triumph curled the cor- 
ners of her mouth. The Prince, she felt, wanted 
to leave her, and couldn’t. 

“I sail, to-night,” said the Prince, “on the 
Sant* Anna,** 

At that, Sadie Love abruptly put her book 
aside. 

“Sail?” she repeated. There was a mo- 


LA DONNA S3 MOBILE 


189 


mentis panse. You made up your mind — ^very 

suddenly/' 

am like you," replied the Prince, ‘‘I have 
a sudden mind." 

‘^And what becomes of me?" demanded Sa- 
die, indignantly, and she turned around, on the 
chaise longue, and put her feet on the floor. 
‘‘Am I to — stay locked up here — till you get 
back?" 

‘ ‘ I will not get back I ' ' 

From the way he said it, and the way he 
looked at her, she knew that he was in earnest. 

“You mean," she asked, blankly, “that 
you're simply — leaving me?" 

“You do not care for me," said the Prince, 
coldly. “You tell me, to my face, that you 
marry, with Wakeley. Why should I stay?" 

Sadie rose. 

“This," she exclaimed, “is the final straw! 
It wasn't enough to get me into this muddle. 
Now, you have to go away and leave me in 
it!'^ 


190 


SADIE LOVE 


‘‘I — got you into itr’ The Prince stared 
at her. 

‘‘You married me, didn^t you?^’ said Sadie. 
“And now — ^you go away, and leave me — to get 
my divorce all by myself I ’ ^ 

“Do you need me for that T ’ He looked more 
amazed than ever. 

“If you think,’’ cried Sadie Love, “that it’s 
as easy to get rid of a husband as it is to get 
one, you’re very much mistaken. If you had 
any regard for me — any regard at all — ^you’d 
stay and — testify against yourself.” 

“But,” protested the Prince, bewildered, “if 
I am to desert you, I cannot stay, and testify 
that I have gone ! ’ ’ 

“But I don’t want to be deserted,” declared 
Sadie. “That’s just what I’ve protested 
against, all along — ^being deserted, on my wed- 
ding day.” 

“But, if I stayed — ” 

“Oh, don’t think I want you to stay!” 

“If I stayed, you would have to find other 


LA DONNA E MOBILE 


191 


grounds for your divorce! I would, perhaps, 
have to be cruel to you ! ’ ^ 

‘‘Your staying would be cruelty enough,’’ 
retorted Sadie. “And I’d prefer cruelty. It 
sounds better.” 

‘ ‘ Ah, lio, Sadie ! ’ ’ The Prince shook his head, 
and his voice grew tender, in spite of himself. 
“I would do many things for you — ^but when 
you want me to be cruel — ! ” he shook his head 
again. 

“It’s the least that a wife can ask of a hus- 
band ! ’ ’ exclaimed Sadie Love, indignantly. 

“I have never been cruel to a wife,” the 
Prince pointed out. “I would not know how. 
I will desert you. I can do that so nice-a-ly.” 
His voice was no longer tender, and he looked 
at her with wrathful satisfaction. 

“Very well,” said Sadie, with angry defi- 
ance, her small chin up in the air. ‘ ‘ Go ahead ! 
Desert me! But you can’t desert me! Fve 
deserted you! I deserted you this afternoon! 
If you hadn’t come in when you did a little 


192 


SADIE LOVE 


while ago, I^d have deserted yon again to-night ! 
I’m going to keep on deserting you! If you 
think I’ll sit calmly down, while you sail away 
to Italy — ! ’ ’ She paused. The scarlet of battle 
was in her cheeks, the crested curls tossed bel- 
ligerently, the lovely eyes looked stormily 
dark. The Prince, surveying her, was acutely 
conscious of the absurdity of the idea that any- 
one would, or could, desert Sadie Love. This 
was immediately followed by a sudden and 
violent impulse to kiss her. He restrained him- 
self, however. Sadie went on: sail away 

somewhere, too — ^with Jim. And I don’t care 
what I sail in! I’ll sail if it’s in a rowboat!” 

‘‘With Jim?” the Prince smiled, exasperat- 
ingly. “Get a hig rowboat!” 

“I said we’d go to China,” said Sadie Love, 
“and we will.” 

“Jim — row to China?” The Prince, again, 
was exasperatingly amused. ‘ ‘ He will reduce. ’ ’ 

“And then,” added Sadie Love, “when I’m 
done away with, in a Boxer uprising or some- 


LA DONNA E MOBILE 


193 


thing — then perhaps you’ll be satisfied.” The 
Prince looked disturbed at this, but before he 
could say anything, Sadie demanded: ‘^Well — 
if you ’re going, why don ’t you go T ’ She didn ’t 
think, of course, that he would go, but he came 
to her, and held out his hand, in token of fare- 
well. She couldn ’t believe it even then. ‘ ‘ No 1 ” 
she exclaimed, wonH shake hands 1” 

‘‘Sadie,” said the Prince, and there was 
something in his voice which told her, now, that 
he was really going. “Sadie — good-bye I” 
He went to the door, and Sadie let him go. At 
least, she let him open the door. Then, sud- 
denly, she cried: “I won’t let you go!” The 
Prince turned, astonished. “You haven’t any 
right to!” she exclaimed, indignantly. “After 
all, even if we do — hate each other — I’m your 
wife. You ought to stay here — to keep me from 
running away with Jim. You ought to stay 
till — till I can desert you — properly.” 

“Sadie!” the Prince started toward her, 
“you’re not — ” 


194 


SADIE LOVE 


‘‘No, I’m not crying,” said Sadie, tearfully, 
“and if I am — it’s not about you. I — I’ve a 
headacbe.” 

“Oh — Sadie!” The Prince was all concern, 
now. ‘ ‘ A headache ? Where ? ’ ’ 

“Where you do suppose?” retorted Sadie, 
with tearful wrath, “in my head. But you 
don’t care. You wouldn’t care if I had ten 
heads, with ten headaches in every one of them. 
That’s the very time that you’d select to — de- 
sert me.” 

“Sadie!” He put his arm about her. He 
had no right to do it, of course, for she was 
his wife, and they had agreed to disagree, and 
he was going to meet the Comtesse (quite by 
accident) on the SanV Anna. But still, he had 
to do something to show his sympathy, even if 
Sadie was his wife. 

“Go on,” said Sadie, tearfully — ^but fairly 
sure, now, that he wasn’t going on. “Desert 
me! But if you do, I — I’ll get in a rowboat 
with Jim and — turn it right over.” 


LA DONNA E MOBILE 195 

‘‘Oh — carissimaV^ And the Prince pnt both 
arms around her (which is jnst twice as com- 
forting as one arm). 

‘‘I thought that Jim was my — ^unfulfilled ro- 
mance,’’ said Sadie Love, weepily, but he isn’t. 
He’s just my — ^filled-out romance. I — I don’t 
believe I could marry Jim if he were covered 
with white lilacs.” And then she broke down, 
and began to sob, and said that she couldn’t 
let the Prince go away, and he said that he 
couldn’t have gone, without her — ^his Sadie — 
his carissima — his heart of hearts — and just 
then Aunt Julia came in, and saw Sadie in the 
Prince’s arms, and him kissing her, and then 
there was a jubilation. 

“Oh! My dear! My dears!” exclaimed 
Aunt Julia, quite hysterical with joy. ‘‘When 
did it happen? How did it happen? But that 
doesn’t matter — so long as it did happen!” 
But, Sadie, struck by a sudden disturbing 
thought, interrupted her, with a gasp of 
alarm. 


196 


SADIE LOVE 


‘‘Aunt Julia/’ she said, agitatedly, “what- 
ever you do, don’t tell Jim.” 

“Ah! No!” exclaimed the Prince, and he 
seemed even more aghast at the thought than 
Sadie was. (He was thinking of the Com- 
tesse!) 

“Luigi,” Sadie gazed at him, wide-eyed. 
“We can’t face them. We wouldn’t dare!” 

“Ah! No!” cried the Prince, again, with 
even more emphasis. 

“There’s only one thing to do,” said Sadie 
agitatedly, to the Prince, “and that is — get 
out of here, as quickly and quietly as we can — 
now — this very minute — and get to town, and 
sail, on the 8ant^ Anna, to-night!” 

“The Sant* AnnaV* If the Prince had been 
aghast, before, he was the comparative and 
superlative of it now! The Sant* Anna! On 
which he was to meet the Comtesse (quite by 
accident). 

‘ ‘ Yes, ’ ’ said Sadie, ‘ ‘ just as we intended. We 


LA DONNA t MOBILE 


197 


have our reservation. Most of my trunks are 
at the dock.’^ 

‘ ‘ Oh — no, no 1 ’ ’ exclaimed the Prince, remem- 
bering those other trunks, which also, were at 
the dock. Then, as Sadie looked at him, as- 
tonished, he protested, ‘‘Not the Sant^ Anna, 
Sadie ! She — she wobbles I ’ ’ 

“Wobbles 1^’ Sadie gazed at him, in sur- 
prise. “You said she was steady. ’ ’ 

“No, no I’’ declared the Prince, agitatedly, 
“she wobbles I’’ 

Sadie didn’t know what to make of this, and 
she looked blanker than ever. Mrs. Warring- 
ton, however, flattered herself that she under- 
stood. 

“He’s only teasing you, dear,” she ex- 
claimed, and she shook her finger laughingly 
at the Prince. “Of course you’ll sail. I’ll run 
down and tell John to have the car ready.” 

“But the others mustn’t know,” warned Sa- 
die, “they mustn’t hear us go.” 


198 


SADIE LOVE 


Jolin shall wait down the drive/’ Mrs. War- 
rington arranged, ^^and not make a bit of 
noise. And I’ll go in and chat with the Com- 
tesse, so she won’t have a chance to notice any- 
thing. And while I’m in with her, you and 
Luigi can slip out.” 

‘^And, oh,” cried Sadie, suddenly remem- 
bering, ‘‘tell John that he’ll find two trunks, 
under that window. He can carry them to the 
machine — all the hotel porters do!” and she 
dimpled delightfully. 

“Under the window?” gasped Mrs. Warring- 
ton, “how did your trunks get — ” but Sadie 
interrupted her. 

“I’ll write you all about it — from Italy. 
Good-bye, dear, good-bye!” She kissed Aunt 
Julia, and Aunt Julia kissed her and the Prince, 
and started to go out, and came back, and kissed 
them all over again, and finally did go out, 
quite maudlin with happy excitement. 

“Dear Aunt Julia,” said Sadie, looking after 
her, and she was a bit tearful, too, “she’s so 


LA DONNA E MOBILE 


199 


happy— because IVe settled down, at last.'' 

(If Annt Julia had only known what was go- 
ing to happen! But, of course, she didn't, and 
Sadie didn't, either, nor anyone else, for that 
matter.) 

Luigi!" cried Sadie, to the Prince, who was 
standing, doing nothing — except look strangely 
helpless and dismayed, ‘‘hurry! Get your 
things. And, oh — ^be sure to get Mikeyl^^ 

“But — " began the Prince. 

“But what?" demanded Sadie. 

“Ah! She will wobble!" murmured the 
Prince, despairingly, and he rushed out of the 
room. 

His first impulse, when he got outside, was to 
go straight to the Comtesse, make a clean breast 
of it, and throw himself upon her mercy. Then, 
remembering her temperament, he checked him- 
self. Suppose, as was more than likely, that 
she got terribly emotional, and had more hys- 
terics and that, through this, Sadie learned all 
about his previous plan to meet the Comtesse 


200 


SADIE DOVE 


(quite by accident) on the Sant^ Anna? That 
would settle things 1 No, he could not risk tell- 
ing the Comtesse of his change of heart and the 
consequent change in his plans. His first 
thought must be for Sadie. She was his wife — 
his principessa. The truth must be kept from 
her, at all costs. But how could it be, if they 
all sailed, on the same boat? Sadie would be 
sure to meet the Comtesse (quite by accident) 
and then the Sant^ Anna would not simply wob- 
ble; she would turn right over I 
There was only one thing to do — ^he decided 
that, as he snatched up his coat and hat, and 
his traveling-case. He and Sadie must not sail, 
on the Sant^ Anna, He would bribe the chauf- 
feur to stall the machine, or to take a wrong 
route ; they would miss the boat ; and the Com- 
tesse could sail away to Italy all by herself. 
He did not feel as conscious-stricken, in regard 
to the Comtesse, as he might have done, had 
she played quite fairly with him. It was all 
very well for her to have said, that afternoon, 


LA DONNA t MOBILE 


201 


that she had merely forgotten to tell him about 
that extra husband of hers. He couldn^t bring 
himself to believe that. Husbands are hard to 
get, and to forget. And, anyhow, he had a 
feeling that the Comtesse wouldn’t break her 
heart about him. She would find another twin 
soul. 

He hurried downstairs, for Mikey. When he 
got hack, upstairs, to Sadie’s room (with Mikey 
under one arm, and his traveling-hag under 
the other, and his coat over his shoulder, and 
his hat in his hand, and a most terribly wor- 
ried expression on his face), Sadie Love (with 
her hat on her head and her coat on her arm, 
and her traveling-hag in her hand, and with 
the most delightfully agitated expression on 
her face) was awaiting him. 

‘‘All ready!” she exclaimed, triumphantly, 
and gave him her satchel (he having nothing 
to carry but Mikey, and his coat, and his trav- 
eling-case). Then she slipped her hand under 
his arm (the arm that was carrying Mikey, who 


202 


SADIE J.OVE 


smiled, and wiggled, ecstatically) and she 
looked up into Ms face (the Prince’s — not 
Mikey’s) and dimpled so beautifully, that there 
was but one thing to do, and the Prince did it. 
He kissed her, and it was such a long, long kiss 
that Mikey, who had witnessed this phenomenon 
before, but never protracted to such startling 
length, grew seriously uneasy. And then, Sa- 
die and the Prince suddenly became uneasy, too, 
for there was a knock on the door. (The Prince 
had taken the precaution to close the door, when 
he came in.) 

Sadie looked at the Prince, and the Prince 
looked at Sadie, and Mikey looked up at both 
of them. 

‘‘Who is it?” asked Sadie, after a moment, 
shakingly. 

“I!” came the correct and laconic response. 
They recognized the voice. It was Lillah 
Wakeley. 

Sadie looked at the Prince, again, and the 
Prince looked at Sadie. And Mikey kept on 


LA DONNA il MOBILE 


203 


looking at both of them. Then Sadie, coming 
to a flurried decision, pointed to the bedroom. 
The Prince, comprehending, tiptoed over, and 
went into the bedroom, closing the door after 
him. 

It is generally conceded, now, by those who 
knew about the whole affair, that Sadie Love 
made a grave mistake, when she decided to 
conceal the Prince. But Sadie declares that, 
under the circumstances, it was the only thing 
that she could do. It is all very well, she says, 
for people to protest that he was her husband, 
and that she had a perfect right to be start- 
ing away with him, on her honeymoon. But 
how was she to know that Lillah wouldn T rush 
straight off to tell the Comtesse all about it — 
and Jim, too, for that matter — and then there 
would be a pretty howdydo ! 

‘^Come in,^’ said Sadie, as soon as the Prince 
was out of sight. Lillah did come in, quickly 
enough. The moment she caught sight of Sa- 
die, she gasped, and exclaimed: ‘‘Oh! You 


204 


SADIE LOVE 


were going away I’’ Sadie, you see, had her 
hat on, and her coat on her arm. 

‘^Not with your husband!’’ replied Sadie 
Love. 

‘‘Not with him!” retorted Lillah, and she 
glared at Sadie. “ I ’ll answer for that. I locked 
him up again!” 

“He let you?” cried Sadie, quite flabber- 
gasted. 

“He did not!” snapped Lillah. “I locked 
him up without his letting me. He said he was 
going away ; he went to his room for something, 
and I simply — turned the key on him. Later, 
when I heard him snoring, I put Mumfy in with 
him. ’ ’ 

“Poor Jim!” exclaimed Sadie, involuntarily. 
Lillah, at this, glared so fiercely that Sadie be- 
came positively alarmed. “You see,” she has- 
tened to point out, “if you have him locked 
up, like that, I couldnH go away with him!” 

“But that doesn’t prevent your going away 
to wait for him, somewhere!” retorted Lillah, 


LA DONNA E MOBILE 


205 


with an accusing glance. Then, before Sadie 
could protest her innocence of such intentions, 
Lillah went on, her eyes flashing, ‘‘I begin to 
understand why your Aunt isn^t here, to spend 
the night with you I When I reminded her of 
it, just now, she laughed in my face ! She knows 
that you’re going awayl She’s helping you I 
She unlocked the doorl” (Lillah, like all jeal- 
ous wives, had a lively imagination. ) * ^ But you 
shan’t go! If no one else will protect your 
poor husband, I will I Here you are, and here 
you shall stay — till I give the key to the Prince, 
in the morning ! ’ ’ And before Sadie knew what 
was happening, Lillah had whisked out. of the 
door, banging it after her, and turned the key 
in the lock. Sadie stood, for a moment, quite 
dazed, then she rushed to the door, and tried 
the handle. 

Yes — there was no mistake, the door was 
locked. 

‘^Mrs. Wakeley!” she cried, rapping on the 
door. “Mrs. Wakeley 1” There was no re- 


206 


SADIE LOVE 


sponse. Lillah was gone. Sadie turned, and 
stood, for a moment, staring blankly before 
her. Then she went over to the boudoir, and 
opened the door. 

‘ ‘ She is gone ? ^ ^ whispered the Prince, coming 
into the room. He had left his coat and hat 
and traveling-case, in the bedroom, but Mikey 
was still under his arm and wagged his tail, 
joyfully, as he caught sight of Sadie. 

‘‘She’s locked us in,” said Sadie. 

“What!” exclaimed the Prince. 

“She’s locked us in — she’s gone — ^we can’t 
get out!” 

“Dio/” and the Prince looked startled. 
Mikey wagged his tail harder than ever. 

“I’ll ring!” said Sadie, and she started to- 
ward the push-button. Then, remembering, she 
stopped, despairingly. “I canH ring!” she 
exclaimed, “I can’t ’phone. You cut the 
wires.” 

The Prince said nothing, to that, but Mikey 
wagged his tail as if he were trying to wag it 


LA DONNA E MOBILE 


207 


right off, which proved that he, at least, had a 
sense of humor. 

‘^But Aunt Julia will come,” Sadie suddenly 
reminded herself. ‘^She’ll let us out!” And 
tten, she reminded herself again! ^^But she 
won^t. Shedl think weVe gone! She told the 
chauffeur to wait, down the drive! And there 
he’ll wait — all night long — I know him! He’ll 
go fast asleep! Luigi — we can’t get out! We 
can’t sail!” 

‘‘Oh, my Lor’, I am glad!” exclaimed the 
Prince, with infinite relief. 

‘ ‘ Didn ’t you want to sail ! ’ ’ Sadie stared at 
him. 

“Not on the Sant' Anna," replied the Prince, 
and he added with conviction, “She would 
wobble ! ’ ’ 

(He wished, afterwards, that he had not re- 
peated that “wobble” so often. For, the way 
things turned out, it made it all just twice as 
bad.) 

“Oh, dear,” cried Sadie, despairingly (not 


208 


SADIE LOVE 


paying mucli attention to tlie ‘‘wobble/^ tbongb 
she remembered it well enough, later) . ‘ ^ Some- 
thing always stopping our honeymoon/’ 
Then an idea occurred to her, and she looked 
hopeful, as she suggested: ‘‘I suppose we could 
rouse the house, somehow, and get out. ’ ’ 

‘^Oh — no!” cried the Prince, alarmed. “If 
we do that, they will all know!” (Of course, 
he was thinking of the Comtesse.) And then 
he went to Sadie, and put his arm about her — 
the arm that wasn’t holding Mikey: “Why 
should we rouse the house? Nothing shall stop 
our honeymoon. It has just begun — at last!” 
He put Mikey down on the floor, at that, and 
put both arms about Sadie. 

“But,” she protested, “what will they say 
— in the morning?” 

^ ‘ In the morning, ’ ’ the Prince reassured her, 
^ ‘ she will be gone ! ’ ’ Once more, he was think- 
ing of the Comtesse ! 

‘ ^ She ? Who ? ’ ’ asked Sadie. 

“The — the Sant^ Anna!^' stammered the 


LA DONNA E MOBILE 


209 


Prince, ‘‘and we will sail away, on some other 
boat — a boat that will not wobble ! ’ ’ 

“Bnt I think, somehow,^’ said Sadie Love, 
“that Aunt Julia will come and let us out, after 
all!^’ 

But, though they waited, quite a long while. 
Aunt Julia didn^t come. And then, as the min- 
utes passed, conversation, between Sadie and 
the Prince, began to grow oddly restrained. 
Perhaps it was because of the loveliness of the 
night — perhaps it was the moonlight, and the 
scent of the flowers, which came from the gar- 
den. At any rate, Sadie and the Prince both 
became very silent. And then, suddenly, the 
Prince took her in his arms, and kissed her, as 
he had never kissed her before. Sadie released 
herself, after a moment. She was breathless, 
and a little pale, but her eyes were like stars. 

“I think Ifll — put my things away,’^ she said, 
constrainedly, and, gathering up her satchel, 
and her coat, she went with them into the bed- 
room — leaving the Prince (and Mikey) in the 


210 


SADIE LOVE 


boudoir. Sbe did not come out again. But 
after a pause, the bedroom door opened, tim- 
idly, a little way, and just Sadie’s band and 
arm were visible, as sbe deposited, in tbe bou- 
doir, tbe Prince’s traveling-case, wbicb be bad 
left in tbe bedroom, when be was biding from 
Lillab. Tbe bedroom door closed, as softly as 
it bad opened. Tbe Prince, with a quite ex- 
traordinarily tender smile, tiptoed, after a mo- 
ment, to tbe bedroom door, picked up tbe 
traveling-case, and carried it over to tbe table. 
He put tbe case on tbe table, and then be 
reached out, and switched off the light. Tbe 
room was only palely illuminated, by tbe moon- 
light. 

The Prince bad just started to open the case, 
when be beard a noise, and, turning, saw Jim, 
dangling on a rope, outside tbe French window I 


CHAPTER XIII 
two’s company! 

The Prince wasn’t sure, in the first moment, 
when he saw that figure, that it was Jim. But 
when the figure plumped down onto the bal- 
cony, with an exceedingly chubby thud, and 
started into the room, the Prince switched on 
the light, and then there was no longer any 
question about it. It was Jim — and an exceed- 
ingly startled Jim, as, in the unexpected fiood 
of light, he suddenly saw the Prince confront- 
ing him. 

‘‘Good Lord!” exclaimed Jim, breathlessly, 
after a moment, “are you always here?” 

“And you?” demanded the Prince, in a rage, 
“do you spend your life, coming in and out 
that window?” 

Just then, Sadie Love, attracted by the sound 
211 


212 


SADIE LOVE 


of voices (not to mention the chubby thud which 
had preceded them) came into the boudoir, from 
the bedroom. 

‘‘Jim!^’ she cried, and stared at him, for a 
full half-minute, quite overcome. Then she 
gasped: ‘‘Wh-where did you come fromT^ 

“Got out again,’’ said Jim, “same old way! 
There was part of the rope left, you know — 
enough to slide down this far, anyhow. But I 
didn ’t expect to find him here ! ’ ’ and he glared 
at the Prince. 

“But — Jim,” exclaimed Sadie, helplessly, 
“why did you come down here — again? 

“Well,” said Jim, a trifle confusedly, “the 
light was out — and I thought they’d all gone — 
and you know what you said, about our going 
away — to Bermuda, or China — ” 

“But you knew very well,” exclaimed Sadie 
Love, ‘ ‘ that the rope only reached to this floor — 
and that we couldn’t get out when you did get 
down here!” 

“Well, supposing we couldn’t!” cried Jim 


TWO’S COMPANY! 


213 


exasperatedly, ‘‘do you think I was going to 
starve to death, upstairs, when I knew a supper 
was going to waste down here?” 

“Jimmy Wakeley!” Sadie grew quite round- 
eyed with indignation, “you didn’t come down 
here for me. You came for the supper!^* 

“I came,” retorted Jim, haughtily, “to finish 
the supper — with you. ’ ’ As he spoke of the sup- 
per, he could not resist a glance in its direc- 
tion. Perceiving its condition, he gave a start. 
‘ ‘ Say ! ” he exclaimed, with indignant surprise, 
“you must have gone off your hunger strike.” 

At that, the Prince, who had been restrain- 
ing himself with difficulty, interposed. 

“You will kindly get out!” he commanded. 

“How can he get out?” demanded Sadie, 
despairingly. Then — in response to Jim’s look 
of surprised interrogation — “Lillah has locked 
us in.” 

“She — locked him in, too?” asked Jim, as- 
tounded, and he indicated the Prince. 

“Yes,” said Sadie, “you see — ^he was in the 


214 SADIE DOVE 

bedroom — and she didn’t know that he was 
here.” 

‘‘Bnt — what was he doing in the bedroom?” 
inquired Jim, and he looked very blank. So, 
for a moment, did Sadie and the Prince I Then 
the Prince came to the rescue. 

Sadie think,” he explained, ‘‘that she hear 
a mouse,” and he pointed to the bedroom; “I 
go in — to find it.” Not for nothing did the 
Prince come of the race of Machiavelli ! 

“And then Lillah,” went on Sadie, glibly, 
“came in, and didn’t know that Luigi was in 
the bedroom, and before I could tell her that 
he was, she locked me in — and here we were ! ’ ’ 
Sadie was not of the Machiavellian race — ^but 
she had married into it. 

“You were — shut in here with him — for the 
night?” exclaimed Jim, quite horrified by the 
thought, and then he added, fervently, ‘ ‘ Thank 
Heaven, I camel” 

Sadie and the Prince exchanged a single, ex- 
pressive glance. 


TWO’S COMPANY! 


215 


‘ ‘ Jim, ’ ’ said Sadie, with decision : ‘ ‘ You must 
get out!” 

. ‘‘I must get out?” Jim stared at her. 

mean, of course,” said Sadie Love, ^‘we 
must all get out!” 

‘‘But — ^how?” asked Jim. 

“Couldn’t you — crawl up that rope?” and 
Sadie looked hopefully at him. 

“I^m not a monkey!” retorted Jim, with 
dignity, “besides — ^what’d he the good? The 
room upstairs is locked, too.” 

“But I thought,” said Sadie Love, ‘“that if 
you could wake up Mumfy — ” 

“What’d he the good of that?” demanded 
Jim, “he’s locked in, too!” 

“Everybody’s locked in!” cried Sadie Love, 
and she sat down, in despair. 

“I know!” Jim’s face lit up, with the in- 
spiration of a real idea. “We’ll lean out of 
the window and yell ‘Fire’ !” 

“Dio/ No!” cried the Prince, thinking of 
the Comtesse; but Sadie jumped to her feet, 


216 


SADIE DOVE 


exclaiming, ^^Yes! Why not!’’ and started for 
the window, Jim after her. But she suddenly 
stopped short, with a cry. 

‘‘Oh — no! If we do that, somebody’s sure 
to put in an alarm, and the fire company will 
come, and the people from the hotel — and that 
newspaper correspondent — and find me locked 
up with two men — and only one of them my 
husband ! ’ ’ 

“There’s safety in numbers,” pointed out 
Jim, consolingly. 

“I didn’t ask for safety,” retorted Sadie, ex- 
asperatedly, “I won’t be a laughing-stock for 
the servants — and get in the papers ! ’ ’ 

They all sat down, then, and talked it over 
(the Prince and Jim, for the time being, tacitly 
agreeing upon a cessation of hostilities). But 
the longer they talked, the worse things seemed. 
Of course, if Jim hadn’t knocked the ladder 
down, earlier in the evening, they could have 
escaped that way, now; but he had — so there 
was no use talking about that. Then Sadie 


TWO^S COMPANY! 


217 


thought that if she went out on the balcony, she 
conld call to some one or other, whose window 
was open; bnt, as it happened, there was no 
window really near, for Sadie ^s rooms were 
in a wing of the house, and rather isolated. 
The only person within hailing distance was 
the Comtesse, hut the Prince grew alarmingly 
disturbed at the mere mention of trying to at- 
tract that lady. Mrs. Warrington ^s apart- 
ments were on the other side of the house, so 
there was no chance of reaching her. So they 
had to give up the idea of calling to anyone. 
Then Sadie wondered if they couldnT make an- 
other rope, out of her bedclothes, and lower 
Jim to the ground, and then he could go and 
tell Lillah, and she could come and let them 
out. But Jim refused point-blank to be low- 
ered. He said that he had made three trips 
on a rope, that night, and that that was enough 
— three times and out. It had almost been, 
as he took care to remind Sadie, a case of two 
times and out, ^‘when the damned thing broke,’’ 


218 


SADIE LOVE 


during his second trip on it. (I am quoting 
Mr. Wakeley’s own language.) If anyone had 
to he lowered, he suggested that it be the 
Prince. The Prince was willing enough, but Sa- 
die promptly vetoed this proposition. If it 
wasnT safe for Jim, she pointed out, it wouldnT 
be fair to ask anyone else to do it. Besides, 
if anything should happen to the Prince, every- 
one would say that she and Jim had thrown 
him out the window ! 

‘‘Well,’^ said Jim, at last, giving it up in de- 
spair, ^‘I don’t know what to do. I guess we’re 
here, Sadie, all three of us — for the night. 
What are you going to do with us?” 

‘^How do I know?” retorted Sadie Love, ex- 
asperatedly, ‘‘I never had two men in my room 
before. I’m not going to do anything with 
you.” She got up, and went over to the bed- 
room door. going to bedl^^ she said. 

‘‘But — ^where will we sleep — if we sleep?” 
asked Jim, “here?” and he looked helplessly 
about the boudoir. 


TWO^S COMPANY! 


219 


‘^You certainly won’t sleep anywhere else!” 
replied Sadie Love. And then, while Jim was 
still looking helplessly about, the Prince kissed 
Sadie. Jim thought he heard something 
(though he had no idea what it was) and 
turned around. The Prince and Sadie moved 
hastily apart. 

‘‘Good-night!” said Sadie Love, and she 
looked at the Prince, and he looked at her, and 
I suppose that, in the words of the song, ‘ ‘ The 
angels whispered, ‘Oh, the pretty pair!’ ” and 
then dropped a tear or two, because Jim had 
to be there, too. For, as everyone who knows 
anything knows, three ’s a crowd — especially on 
some occasions. 

“Good-night!” said Sadie Love, again, and 
her violet eyes were still starry, but gently 
mournful, as they rested upon the Prince. And 
his eyes were as Dante’s must have been, bid- 
ding sorrowful farewell to Beatrice — only the 
Prince was very handsome, and Dante wasn’t. 
And then Sadie opened the door, and went into 


220 


SADIE LOVE 


the bedroom, with one last look at the Prince. 
She was generous with that look, was Sadie, 
for she contrived to trail Jim into a corner of it, 
and he, in the fatuousness of his heart, thought 
it was all for him. Then she vanished, and the 
two men, after gazing at the closed door for a 
moment, turned and glared at one another. But 
what else, under the circumstances, could you 
expect them to do? 

‘‘Oh, you neednT look so damned ugly!^^ 
said Jim, exasperatedly. “Do you suppose I 
enjoy being here? I want you to understand, 
it’s a very awkward position for me! Fve 
never been locked up all night before, with a 
married woman — and her husband ! ’ ’ 

“And we have not been married long,” the 
Prince permitted himself to observe. 

“It doesn’t look as if you’re going to be mar- 
ried long,” continued Jim, with wrathful satis- 
faction, and then, after a moment, he added, 
“Under the circumstances — ^you two going 
to separate right away again — it’s a mighty 


TWO^S COMPANY! 


221 


good thing for Sadie that I am here! It will 
prevent — talk. ’ ’ 

‘‘Talk!’’ muttered the Prince, expressively. 
At that, Jim marched over to the bedroom door, 
and rapped on it. 

“Sadie,” he said, “if yon should be bothered 
in the night by — anything — let me know ! ’ ’ And 
he glowered most frightfully at the Prince. 
“I’m a heavy sleeper,” he continued, to Sadie, 
“so let me know loudly Then, after an- 
other glare at the Prince, he turned away from 
the door, and wandered over in the direction of 
the supper-table. He did it with an elaborate 
affectation of carelessness, but he couldn’t, for 
the life of him, keep a look of hungry expectancy 
out of his face. If he had hoped to find any- 
thing edible on that table, however, he was 
doomed to disappointment. “Not a damned 
thing left!” he murmured, gloomily survey- 
ing the wreckage of the feast. Then he saw 
that there was still some champagne, and he 
drank that. The Prince had begun striding up 


222 


SADIE LOVE 


and down, on the other side of the room, and 
now Jim began striding up and down on his 
side. But he gave it up, after a while, when 
he found that the exercise was making him hun- 
grier and hungrier. 

‘‘I’m not going to walk up aud down here 
all night, like a caged hyena,” he declared, stop- 
ping short, and facing the Prince, “I’m all tired 
out, and I haven’t had a bite to eat since break- 
fast! It’s the last ostensible honeymoon that 
I ever go on! I don’t know what you’re going 
to do, and I don’t give a damn — ^but Vm going 
to sleep ! ’ ’ 

The Prince was standing still, too, now. He 
waited a moment, and then he said: “Go to 
sleep — go to hell — I don’t care!” 

Jim gasped. Somehow, profanity, from a 
foreigner, seemed positively indecent. Jim 
wanted to say something, in reply, but he 
couldn’t think of a fitting retort. It was hard 
to top the Prince’s statement, so, choosing to 
think that silence was golden, Jim turned haugh- 


TWO’S COMPANY! 


223 


tily away. His eye lit upon the chaise longue. 
So did the eye of the Prince. The same idea 
must have come simultaneously to him and to 
Jim, for they made a concerted movement to- 
ward the chaise longue, and both sat down on 
it, at precisely the same moment, announcing 
unanimously: ‘H’m going to sleep here!” 

‘‘We can’t both sleep here!” said Jim. 

“No — I think not!” and the Prince glanced, 
expressively, at Jim’s generous outlines. Then 
Jim suggested that they match for it. He took 
out two coins. 

“Heads I get it,” he said, “tails you don’t.” 
And he flipped a coin. “Tails I” he announced. 
“You don’t.” The Prince, at that, looked a 
trifle mystified, but he accepted his fate and got 
up from the chaise longue. Jim triumphantly 
ensconced himself upon it. “Well, good-night.” 
He snuggled down, provokingly, in the cush- 
ions. “I daresay you can get a few winks of 
sleep on a chair. Or you might try the floor. ’ ’ 

“I do not need your suggestions,” retorted 


224 SADIE LOVE 

the Prince, with dignity, to where I shall 
wink. ’ ^ 

‘‘All right, chuckled Jim, vastly amused. 
“Wink on the chair — ^wink on the floor — wink 
anywhere you please. Good-night!^ ^ 

The Prince, so that he wouldnT have to suf- 
fer the sight of Jim any longer, turned out the 
light. Then, after a while, he sat down on a 
chair, and stretched his legs discontentedly out 
before him. Jim, from a luxurious depth of 
cushions, on the chaise longue, chuckled again. 

“Going to wink on a chair,’’ he commented. 
“I dare you to go to sleep!” There was a 
pause, then he lifted his voice. “Good-night, 
Sadie!” There was no response, from the 
other room, but the Prince moved restlessly, 
on his chair, and Jim chuckled again. Just be- 
fore he dropped off asleep — ^which was in a sur- 
prisingly short time — ^he murmured: “We 
haven’t yet. Prince — ^but we will!” 

The lights were out, but the moon came in, 
through the windows, and bathed the room with 


TWO’S COMPANY I 


225 


its soft radiance. The Prince, with a sigh, rose 
from his chair, and went to the balcony. The 
music was still playing, at the hotel, and the 
little stars were shining up so high. The night 
wind, faintly stirring, was delicate with per- 
fume. June was abroad, in the moonlit gar- 
den. It was a night of love. The Prince sighed, 
again. Then, suddenly, he turned back into 
the room. He thought he had heard a door 
opening. Yes — sure enough — there stood Sa- 
die Love, in the bedroom doorway. He could 
see her only indistinctly, though the light came 
in, from the bedroom. He went swiftly to her. 

‘Hs he asleep?” whispered Sadie. Just then, 
Jim snored. 

‘‘You can hear him sleep!” whispered back 
the Prince. 

“Where’s Mikey?” 

They looked around — and there was Mikey 
on the chaise longue, beside Jim. 

‘ ‘ They ’re both asleep, ’ ’ whispered the Prince. 

“For you!” murmured Sadie, softly, and she 


226 


SADIE LOVE 


held up something which she was carrying, ^^a 
pillow — and a comforter.^’ 

‘‘Oh, Sadie replied the Prince, hushedly, 
but eloquently, “I need a comforter!^’ 

“Oh — ^Luigil” sighed Sadie, with sweet 
despair. 

“Oh — Sadie!’’ breathed the Prince, and took 
her in his arms. (Of course he kissed her. 
Why else do you think he took her in his arms *?) 
Jim snored. 

“He’s sleeping — ^very soundly.” It was Sa- 
die Love who whispered that. 

“Very!” This from the Prince — still in a 
cautious whisper, but with a rising note of 
sudden hope, “I think — ^he will not wake — till 
morning. ’ ’ And then ‘ ‘ Sadie ! ’ ’ And from her 
“Luigi!” And then, long silence, thrilling si- 
lence, silence that comes only when lips meet 
lips, and soul cries out to soul (even if some- 
one is snoring, two feet away, on a chaise 
longue). 

Something had to happen, then. And it did! 


TWO’S COMPANY! 


227 


There was a strange noise, as of someone 
breathing heavily, and exclaiming. Sadie and 
the Prince looked quickly around. Sadie gave 
a cry, and the Prince said something in Italian, 
and rushed over, and turned on the light. 
And then — Mumfy Crewe, gasping desperately, 
swung into the room through the French win- 
dow, on the end of the rope, and landed on the 
floor in a heap. 

And Mikey awoke with a start and sat up and 
barked. 


CHAPTER XIV 

SHE WOBBLES 

It was Mikey barking that awakened Jim. He 
said afterward that he was dreaming that he 
was in a restaurant, and that he kept ordering 
food, and it never arrived, and then, suddenly, 
all the waiters in the place began barking. But 
of course that was Mikey, beside him, on the 
chaise longue, as Jim found when he awoke. 
He sat up and stared at Mumfy, which was just 
what Sadie and the Prince were doing, only 
they were standing up and staring at Mumfy. 
And Mikey was standing up and barking at 
Mumfy. Of course, Sadie and the Prince 
couldn’t do that, but they looked as if they 
would like to. 

‘^Oh!” gasped Sadie Love. ‘‘This is much 
too much.” 


228 


SHE WOBBLES 


229 


‘^Dear me,” remarked Mumfy, agitatedly, 
picking himself up, didn’t think you^d be 
here,” addressing the Prince. 

^‘And I,” retorted the Prince, ^^did not ex- 
pect yon.” 

By this time Jim had begun to grasp what 
had happened. He rose and strode over to 
Mumfy with such a ferocious expression that 
the Prince involuntarily intervened. Jim, then, 
in a rage, turned upon him. 

won’t have him coming to see your wife,” 
cried Jim, ‘^on my rope.” Mumfy, who looked 
as if he had begun to regret acutely that he 
had come, started to explain to the Prince and 
Sadie. 

woke up,” he quavered, ‘‘I missed him,” 
indicating Jim, ^‘1 guessed where he’d gone — so 
I slid down — to protect the Princess!” and he 
gazed, with timid ardor, at Sadie. 

‘Hf this is Protection,” said Sadie Love, 
‘^give me Free Trade.” And then she added, 
overcome, to Jim; 


230 


SADIE LOVE 


‘‘To think that just the moment you were 
sound asleep, he had to drop in ! ’ ’ 

Jim was touched by this. He took it, of 
course, as an evidence of Sadie’s solicitude for 
him! 

“Sadie dear,” he protested, “I don’t mind 
being wakened — for your sake. ’ ’ 

“Oh!” exclaimed Sadie Love, with despair- 
ing exasperation, “For my sake, go to sleep! 
Go to sleep and stay asleep. Sleep till the 
cows come home.” And she started toward 
the bedroom. “There’s one consolation,” she 
comforted herself, “there can’t any more men 
slide down here!” 

“But, Sadie,” demanded Jim, “what are we 
going to do with — ^him?” indicating Mumfy. 

“I don’t care what you do with him!” replied 
Sadie Love. “I don’t care what you do with 
each other! You may talk, you may fight, you 
may throw each other out of the window ! ’ ’ 
“But, Sadie,” persisted Jim, “now that there 
are three of us — ” 


SHE WOBBLES 


231 


‘‘What do you want me to doT’ exclaimed 
Sadie Love, in a rage. ‘ ‘ Sit up and play bridge 
with yon ? ’ ’ And then she looked as if she were 
going to cry. “Oh!’’ she said, “and I was 
supposed to have a quiet wedding!” And she 
went into the bedroom and closed the door. 

‘ ‘ Bridge ! ’ ’ cried Jim, who had visibly bright- 
ened up at the mention of it. “It’s an idea! 
Three of us! We could play auction!” 

This was much too much for the Prince. I 
regret to state that he told Jim for the love 
of God and all the Saints to go to sleep and 
not wake up till the Judgment Day! But he 
said it in Italian, and Jim didn’t understand 
a word of it, though he knew it was something 
unpleasant. Then Mumfy wanted to know if 
he could please get out, and they told him that 
he couldn’t, and why he couldn’t. He was dis- 
turbed at that, but resigned himself to the in- 
evitable, and started toward the chaise longue. 

“That’s mine!” exclaimed Jim, fiercely, in- 
terposing, and, at the same instant, Mikey 


232 


SADIE LOVE 


barked. Mikey was on the chaise longue, so it 
looked as if it belonged to him. Possession, you 
know, is nine points of the law. Mumfy, look- 
ing disconsolate, turned away, and started to 
pick up from the floor the pillow and the com- 
forter which Sadie had brought in for the 
Prince, and which she had dropped, when lips 
had been meeting lips, and soul crying out to 
soul (not to mention Jim snoring on the chaise 
longue). Well, anyhow, that was the pillow and 
the comforter which Mumfy picked up, but the 
Prince exclaimed, with a vendetta-like glance, 
‘^That is mine!’’ and Mumfy dropped the bed- 
ding as if it had scorched him. 

‘‘Dear me,’’ he remarked, with an injured 
expression, “if you don’t look out I’ll begin 
to wish I hadn’t come.” 

“Where did you get that comforter?” de- 
manded Jim, suddenly, of the Prince. The 
Prince, at that, was a bit taken aback, and felt 
dreadfully guilty, but he brazened it out. 

“I borrow it — from Sadie,” he exclaimed. 


SHE WOBBLES 


233 


Jim gave an indignant gasp, then strode over 
to the bedroom door. 

‘‘What am I going to doT’ asked Mnmfy, 
helplessly. He was standing in the middle of 
the room, and he might have posed for the hero 
of the famous poem, “Nobody loves me. No- 
body cares for me!^’ Jim paid no attention 
to him, but the Prince said, curtly, “Wink on 
a chair!’’ At that Mumfy looked more help- 
less than ever. 

“Sadie!” called Jim, through the bedroom 
door. “He did bother you — about that com- 
forter ! ’ ’ And he cast a scathing glance at the 
Prince. “If he annoys you again, call me — 
but call loudly. Eemember — ^I’m a very heavy 
sleeper.” 

“ So am I ! ” said Mumfy, “ if I have any place 
to sleep! I do wish I hadn’t come.” And he 
settled himself, aggrievedly, in a chair. 

“You, also, are a heavy sleeper?” asked the 
Prince. That seemed to interest him extraor- 
dinalily, and to change his whole attitude to- 


234 


SADIE LOVE 


ward Mumfy. He brought him the pillow and 
the comforter, and insisted upon putting the one 
behind his back and the other over his knees, 
and looked around and found a footstool, and 
put that under Mumfy ^s feet, and then was wor- 
ried because he didn’t have something to wrap 
around his shoulders ! Jim, who was once more 
reposing on the chaise longue (by sufferance of 
Mikey), was first astonished by all this atten- 
tion to Mumfy and then exasperated. ‘Hf 
you’ve got to wait on somebody,” he snapped 
at the Prince, ‘‘why not on me? What’s he 
to you? I’m going to be your husband-in- 
law!” 

The Prince, as was only fitting, vouchsafed 
no reply to this ribaldry. He merely turned 
out the light and went to “wink on a chair.” 
And then they all settled down. In an incred- 
ibly short time Jim was fast asleep again, and 
Mumfy was slumbering, too. And so was 
Mikey. And all three of them were giving proof 
that they were asleep. Then the bedroom door 


SHE WOBBLES 


235 


opened softly and Sadie came in again. The 
Prince rose quickly and went to her, which was 
evidence that he hadn’t really been winking on 
his chair at all. 

‘HVe brought you another comforter,” whis- 
pered Sadie, and held one out to him. 

need another comforter,” whispered back 
the Prince, despairingly. 

‘‘I knew someone would get yours!” com- 
mented Sadie, hushedly. ‘‘Both asleep!” and 
she surveyed Jim and Mumfy. “It looks like 
a dormitory. And it sounds like a saw- 
mill!” 

“Sadie!” murmured the Prince, “they are 
both sleeping — ^very soundly.” 

“Sh!” warned Sadie, “they’ll wake up!” 

“No, my dear,” whispered the Prince, “they 
will not wake. And while they sleep, all through 
the love-a-ly June night, I will tell my Sadie — 
how I love her. Yes — until the sunrise flushes 
in the east, I will tell my Sadie how I love — ^ 
love — love her!” 


236 


SADIE LOVE 


And then there was silence again, while lips 
met lips, and sonl cried ont to soul (though, 
of course, Jim went on snoring, and so did 
Mumfy — and Mikey). And of course, just then 
something else had to happen! This time it 
was only a knock on the door. But the Prince 
and Sadie were as startled as if it had been an 
angel with a flaming sword. Mikey was star- 
tled, too, right out of his sleep, and he jumped 
down oft the chaise longue and ran, barking, to 
the door. 

‘‘Who is it?” exclaimed Sadie Love. 

The Prince is of the opinion that the disaster, 
which shortly after ensued, might have been 
prevented if Sadie had only maintained silence 
at that critical moment, and pretended that 
there was no one there. But, as Sadie very 
properly points out, how could she pretend 
that there was no one there, when Mikey was 
barking and Jim and Mumfy were snoring their 
heads off. 

“Sadie Love!” came Aunt Julia’s astonished 


SHE WOBBLES 237 

voice, through the door, ‘‘What are you doing 
here?^’ 

“Oh, Aunt Julia Sadie rushed to the door 
and whispered, thrillingly, through it, “Mrs. 
Wakeley locked me in — and Luigi’s here, too.” 

“Oh!” they could hear Aunt Julia gasp, 
“and I was sure I heard you go.” 

“ Oh ! Aunt Julia ! Do get the key ! ’ ’ 

“Yes, yes! Of course! Oh — dear me!” 

They heard Aunt Julia scudding away down 
the corridor, exclaiming as she went. Some- 
thing told the Prince that now he was in for 
it ! He switched on the light and prepared for 
the worst. And yet, he didn’t know just why 
he felt so apprehensive. The Comtesse must 
have left the house long before this. By now 
she was well on her way to town. But sup- 
posing she wasn’t? Supposing something had 
happened to detain her? The Prince felt pan- 
icky at the mere thought of it. 

Just then Jim woke up, which wasn’t sur- 
prising, for Mikey, who had decided to return 


238 


SADIE LOVE 


to the chaise longue, had made a trifling mis- 
take when he jumped back to resume his orig- 
inal position, and had landed full on Jim’s 
face. Of course that was an original position, 
too, in a way, but it did not prove to be a per- 
manent one. Jim got up and Mikey got off, 
simultaneously. Jim said things, and Mikey 
yelped, and that woke Mumfy up, too. So then 
the whole dormitory was awake. 

Jim thought that the Prince had been ‘‘both- 
ering” Sadie again, and said so. When Sadie 
told him what the matter really was he looked 
alarmed, and thought he’d better go into the 
bedroom. If Lillah should come back with 
Mrs. Warrington and find him there, she’d lock 
him up again. When Mumfy heard that he also 
looked disturbed, and thought he’d better keep 
out of the way, too, till the storm blew over. 
For of course, if Lillah saw him, he’d have to 
explain how he got out, and where Jim was. 
Just then they ail heard voices approaching, in 
the hallway. Jim bolted into the bedroom. 


SHE WOBBLES 


239 


Mumfy was about to follow him, but stopped 
short, and declared that he’d been shut up long 
enough with the human hyena (that was Jim). 
So Mumfy went out on the balcony — just as 
the door was unlocked, and thrown open, and 
Lillah sailed in, followed, agitatedly, by Mrs. 
Warrington. And after her who should walk 
in but the Comtesse I 

The Prince, when he perceived the Comtesse, 
looked as if he wished (in the words of the 
song) for the wings of a dove — ^though, for that 
matter, any old kind of wings would have done. 
His disturbing premonition had been fulfilled. 
The Comtesse had not gone I (It was learned, 
later, that the automobile had come for the 
Comtesse, right enough, but the Prince had 
forgotten to say anything to the butler about 
it, and so that latter individual had informed 
the chauffeur that there must be some mistake, 
and had sent him away.) 

The Comtesse, when she caught sight of the 
Prince, was quite overcome. She couldn’t say 


240 


SADIE DOVE 


anything, for a moment ; she jnst stared, wide- 
eyed and open-mouthed, at him. Lillah was 
evidently quite flabbergasted, too. Sadie Love 
saw that it was incumbent upon her to ex- 
plain. 

*‘You did it!’^ said Sadie, accusingly, to Lil- 
lah. ‘‘When you locked me in, you locked him 
in, too indicating the Prince. “He had gone 
into the bedroom — and then, when everyone 
gasped at that, she added, with dignity, “after 
a mouse! And before I could tell you he was 
there you whisked out of the door, and — ” 

“In we were locked,’^ corroborated the 
Prince, with an anxious eye upon the Comtesse. 
“We try to get out, but the bells will not bell, 
and — 

At this moment he was interrupted by Mumfy 
sneezing on the balcony. Everyone looked 
startled. 

“You might as well come in,” said Sadie, 
raising her voice. And Mumfy did. He had to 
sneeze twice more before he could say any- 


SHE WOBBLES 


241 


thing, then he hastened to explain to Lillah, 
who was looking at him with the most awful 
expression. 

^^When I missed your husband,’’ he gasped, 
stifling another sneeze, slid down the rope, 
and — ” 

‘‘Do you mean to say,” interrupted Lillah, 
“that Jim Wakeley is here, too?” She looked 
at Sadie and the Prince. They didn’t say any- 
thing, but their faces did. Lillah, who seemed 
to have an instinct in such matters, marched 
over to the bedroom door and flung it open. 
Jim had been leaning against it, trying to listen, 
and he tumbled headlong into the room, almost 
upsetting the Comtesse. 

“Sadie!” exclaimed Mrs. Warrington, 
weakly, looking about, “there aren’t any more 
men in here ? ’ ’ 

“You might look under the bed,” said Sadie 
Love. 

By the time that Jim had got his balance 
again, Lillah was standing, with one arm 


242 SADIE LOVE 

stretched majestically out. It pointed toward 
the door. 

Jim Wakeley,’’ and her voice, as Jim con- 
fided later, fairly ‘^shivered his spine,’’ ‘‘Jim 
Wakeley! Go to your room!” 

“If you lock me up again!” declared Jim, 
“I’ll chew through the door!” But he started 
to go out. Then, at the door, he turned and 
made signs with his fingers at Sadie. 

“What are you doing?” demanded Lillah, 
in a rage. 

“Deaf and dumb,” said Jim, “for ‘We 
haven’t yet, but we will.’ ” And with that he 
fled out the door. 

“Mumfy!” cried Lillah, when she could get 
her breath, “put that down!” 

“I don’t need to,” said Mumfy. “I know 
that by heart. ’ ’ And he went out after Lillah, 
who had gone out after Jim. 

Well, so far, so good. That was what the 
Prince was thinking (in Italian). The Com- 
tesse was still looking disturbed, but the Prince 



“Jim Wakeley! Go to your room!” 





SHE WOBBLES 


243 


felt tliat she didn’t, as yet, suspect the truth. 
And then, that had to be the moment when Mrs. 
Warrington exclaimed, agitatedly, to Sadie: 
‘‘Locked up with three men — and I thought 
that you were on your way to the 8anV 
AnnaV^ 

“Wat?” cried the Comtesse. 

The situation might have been saved even 
then if Aunt Julia had only kept her head — ^but 
Aunt Julia didn’t. There was, after all, no 
reason to expect that she would. Aunt Julia, 
as everyone who knew her could testify, had 
never kept her head before. And she lost it 
completely now, when the Comtesse, going over 
to her, seized her by the arm and hissed out 
again, dramatically: **Mon Dieut Wat you 
say?” 

Aunt Julia had been brought up in the old- 
fashioned way, to believe that honesty is the 
best policy. So, having lost her head, she fell 
back, in a panic, upon the truth, as the best 
way out of the difficulty. Of course, as every- 


244 


SADIE LOVE 


one knows, the truth is no way out of a diffi- 
culty at all at all, and the telling of it only 
denotes sad lack of imagination, and general 
paucity of resource. But general paucity of 
resource was a chronic condition with Aunt 
Julia; so, it was the truth she told — ^the truth, 
and nothing hut the truth. But that, in the 
present case, was more than enough ! 

‘ ^ She might as well know, ’ ^ she said to Sadie 
and the Prince, and then they knew that the day 
was lost — ^but the Prince knew it better than 
Sadie. 

‘‘Know — watr’ exclaimed the Comtesse. 

“My niece and her husband — ” Mrs. War- 
rington tried to draw herself up and look as if 
she were not the least bit afraid of the Comtesse 
— ^but she was. “My niece and her husband are 
completely reconciled. They^re going to sail 
on the Sant^ Anna to-night 

“Ah!^’ cried the Comtesse, and she turned 
upon the Prince with such an air of having been 
betrayed that Sadie couldn^t help remarking 


SHE WOBBLES 


245 


to her, with some show of defiance, ‘‘After all, 
why shonldn^t we saiir’ 

“But,’’ protested the Comtesse, “he ask me 
to sail — also.’’ 

It was Sadie, then, who exclaimed. The 
Prince said nothing, aloud, but to himself he 
cried out, despairingly, that now the fat was 
in the fire I Only, of course, he said it in Italian, 
and it was probably spaghetti. 

“What!” gasped Sadie Love, and she stared 
at the Comtesse. 

“In my room — eet ees one hour ago — he ask 
me to sail wiz him, to-night! ‘Marise,’ he say, 
‘I will be all alone — and zero will be moonlight, 
all ze way ! Marise ! ’ he say, ‘ ze band will play ’ 

■ — wat you say eet play?” and she turned, hys- 
terically accusing, upon the Prince. 

“Oh, my Lord!” said the Prince — ^but of 
course, he didn’t mean that that was what the 
band was going to play ! Though he didn ’t care, 
by that time, if the band never played. 

“And ze sea,” went on the Comtesse, emo- 


246 


SADIE DOVE 


tionally, ‘^wat you say ze sea do? Ak—oui, 
oui — ze sea will — sigh up to ze sky!” 

^ ^ Oh ! ” gasped Sadie Love. ^ ‘ Oh I ” 

‘ ‘ ‘ Marise, ’ he say, ‘ sail wiz me ! Sail 1 ^ An^ 
zen — after zat — ^he ask you! QueV homme! 
He must ’ave always two on ’is honeymoon! 
Ah, Luigi! C^est trop! C*est trop!** and she 
began to have them again, then and there (yes 
^hysterics, of course). 

Aunt Julia (agitatedly begging Sadie not to 
do anything sudden or rash) got the Comtesse 
out into the hallway, somehow, and back to her 
room, where she could have her hysterics com- 
fortably. (It was the only useful thing that 
Aunt Julia had done since the beginning of the 
whole awful business.) The Prince remained, 
to explain to Sadie. I must say, I think that 
Aunt Julia had the easier task. 

‘‘Sadie,” began the Prince, “you don’t un- 
derstand. ’ ’ 

“Oh, don’t I?” cried Sadie. “Don’t I? 
‘Marise! I will be all alone, and there will be 


SHE WOBBLES 


247 


moonliglit all the way!’ Oh! Oh!” and she 
began walking np and down, like a tigress seek- 
ing what she might devour. 

Sadie!” The Prince started following her 
about — which, of course, didn’t do a bit of good, 
and was dangerous, besides! Sadie Love was 
in a killing mood! She might still have a 
“Love” in her name, but all the love in her 
nature had turned to hate. No — not quite all! 
She loved Jim now — ^with what intensit^slie 
had left, when she got through hating the 
Prince. 

“And it was you whom I was willing to 
trust!” She turned upon him. “You whom 
I was ready to believe! You for whom I was 
going to give up my Jim! What was I think- 
ing of? Oh! Thank Heaven, I found you out 
in time — again!” 

“Sadie!” said the Prince — ^but of course he 
had said that before. 

“ ‘Don’t do anything sudden,’ ” she repeated 
Aunt Julia’s despairing admonition. “I will 


248 


SADIE LOVE 


do sometliing sudden I ‘Don’t do anything 
rash!’ I will do something rash I I’m going 
to do the rashest, suddenest thing that I can 
think of I I’m going to divorce you — so sud- 
denly and rashly that you won’t know it’s hap- 
pened! And do you know what the grounds 
will be? ‘Ah! Sadie! She wobbles! She 
wobbles!’ ” And she swept into the bedroom. 
The Prince was about to follow her, and then 
he saw that she was coming out again. She had 
her coat, and her satchel, and her hat. She 
threw the coat and the satchel onto a chair, and 
began putting on the hat. It was difficult to 
do, for the crested curls seemed to be positively 
standing on end ! 

‘ ‘ Sadie ! ’ ’ exclaimed the Prince. ‘ ‘ Where are . 
you going?” 

“I don’t know! I don’t care! Anywhere, 
away from you!” and Sadie Love jabbed a hat- 
pin into the rebellious curls, and snatched up 
her coat with one hand and her satchel with the 
other. And then she grabbed up Mikey with 


SHE WOBBLES 


249 


HMh Lands. That sounds complicated — and it 
was — ^but she did it. 

^‘Oh — carissima,*^ gasped the Prince, aghast, 
and he grabbed up his satchel, from the table. 
Then he looked distractedly around for his hat 
and coat, and couldn^t see them, and remem- 
bered that he’d left them in Sadie’s bedroom, 
when he was hiding in there from Lillah. He 
started to get them now. 

“Keep out of my room!” cried Sadie, in a 
rage. 

“My coat!” he exclaimed, hastily, “my hat! 
Where you go, Sadie, I go, too ! ’ ’ and he rushed 
into the bedroom. 

Now Sadie Love, when she was preparing to 
retire, had found the coat and hat of the 
Prince on her bed, where he had thrown them. 
She had picked them up, and (you must promise 
never to tell the Prince this) she had kissed the 
coat, on the right lapel (if you must kiss a 
coat that’s the proper place to do it). Then, 
fearing, perhaps, that the left lapel might feel 


250 


SADIE LOVE 


slighted, she had kissed that, too ; after which 
she had hung the coat, very carefully, on a 
hanger, in her wardrobe. The hat she had 
placed, with equal care, upon a shelf, overhead. 
So it was only natural that the Prince, as he 
dashed, now, into the bedroom, failed to see 
track or trace of the objects which he sought. 
It was while he was looking desperately around 
for them that Sadie suddenly got her fatal idea. 
When it came to her she was standing beside 
the chaise longue. She promptly dropped 
everything upon it — her coat, the satchel, and 
Mikey — and rushed across the room, to the bed- 
room door. 

‘ ‘ Sadie I ^ ’ exclaimed the Prince, appealingly, 
‘‘My coat? My hat?’’ and he looked distract- 
edly about the bedroom for them. 

“In the wardrobe,” said Sadie Love, and 
she indicated where the wardrobe stood. The 
Prince turned to it. As he did so Sadie, with 
wrathful celerity, snatched the key from the 
bedroom door, closed the door, and, with a tri- 


SHE WOBBLES 


251 


umpliant exclamation, locked it — from tke bou- 
doir side! So there was the Prince, nicely 
locked up in the bedroom ! 

‘‘You’ll go where I go?” she cried to him, 
through the locked door. “Oh, will you! Will 
you!” 

She turned away, and rushing to the chaise 
longue, grabbed everything up again — the coat, 
and the satchel, and Mikey. They were all 
just where she had left them — especially the 
coat and the satchel! Mikey grunted a slight 
protest, but the coat and the satchel said noth- 
ing. And then Sadie, as she was starting for 
the door which opened into the hallway, stopped 
short, with an exclamation of surprise (and of 
course Mikey and the coat and the satchel 
stopped short, too, without any exclamation). 
For who should come in, just then, but Jim — • 
breathless, but triumphant. 

“Sadie!” he panted, “just for a change, 
l*ve locked Lillah up!” 

‘ ‘ Jim I ’ ’ cried Sadie. 


252 


SADIE LOVE 


The handle of the bedroom door began to rat- 
tle. Jim stared at it. 

‘‘Just for a change,’’ announced Sadie Love, 
“I’ve locked him up!” and then she cried, to 
the Prince, who had begun to pound frantically 
on the door, “I’m going away — with Jim — do 
you hear? — ^with Jim! TFeVe going to sail — on 
the steady ship that wobbles! And while the 
sea sighs up to the sky, and the band plays ‘ Oh, 
my Lord’ — we’ll be steady — ^we’ll wobble — ^we’U 
be steady and wobble at the same time ! ’ ’ 

“You ’ll do nothing of the sort ! ” It was Lil- 
lah, in the doorway. 

How she had got out Jim couldn’t imagine 
(it was Mumfy’s doing, of course), but she had 
got out, there was no doubt about that! She 
came into the room, marched straight to the 
bedroom door, unlocked it, and flung it open. 
The Prince burst into the room. Jim, at the 
same moment (trying to look unconcerned), 
started toward the other door (the one which 
led into the hallway). 


SHE WOBBLES 


253 


‘‘Sadie cried the Prince. But Sadie, by 
that time, was at the other door, too. 

“I hope you enjoy yourselves,’’ she cried to 
the Prince and Lillah. “We shall. ’ ’ And then, 
in a flash, she had pushed Jim out into the hall, 
and was out after him, slamming and locking 
the door behind her. So there were Lillah and 
the Prince, nicely locked up in the boudoir — 
together. “You’ve shut us up all day,” cried 
Sadie to them, through the door, “now see how 
you like it!” 

“Dm/” gasped the Prince. 

‘ ‘ Good heavens ! ’ ’ exclaimed Lillah. 

And then they heard Sadie Love, outside in 
the hall, say: “Come on, Jim. We must make 
that boat I She wobbles I She wobbles 1 ’ ’ 


CHAPTER XV 

LOOK ME IK THE EYE I 

Sadie Love says slie never will remember just 
what happened on that wild trip to town. It 
is all dizzy blur to her, strange, and nightmare- 
like. But certain aspects of it do stand out 
in her memory. She recalls that, as she and Jim 
ran down the stairs, Jim asked her if she didnT 
think he’d have time to dash back to the kitchen 
and get a piece of pie or something. And she 
told him that if he did she wouldn’t wait for 
him, and that he’d have to choose between her 
and the pie, and he said, ‘‘Sadie! How could 
you! Of course I’d rather have youV* But she 
declares that before he said it he hesitated for 
a fraction of a second. 

They got out the front door without anyone 
seeing them, and there, a little way down the 
drive, was Aunt Julia’s automobile, which had 
254 


LOOK ME IN THE EYE ! 


255 


been waiting, all this time, for Sadie and the 
Prince. (Of course, Sadie didn’t tell Jim that.) 
When he blurted out his astonishment at the au- 
tomobile being there, Sadie said she’d explain 
later — ^but, of course, she didn’t! On the front 
seat of the auto sat John, the chauffeur, fast 
asleep, just as Sadie knew he would be. She 
jumped into the car, dragging Jim after her, 
and then she woke John up and told him to stay 
awake, for an hour or so, and get them into 
town, and to the Sant* Anna, Sadie remem- 
bers having an awful conviction that the car 
wouldn’t budge. (‘^You know how John is,” 
she says. ‘‘If you’re in a tearing hurry that’s 
always the time that he crawls under the ma-. 
chine and takes the whole thing apart.”) But 
he didn’t, this time, for a wonder, and they did 
start, and the next thing they knew they were 
out on the main road and headed for New York 
at a mile-a-minute speed. Sadie says that it 
was much more than that, but then, of course, 
Sadie was excited. So was Jim. It seemed as 


256 


SADIE LOVE 


if that automobile simply couldn^t go fast 
enough for him. 

He kept wanting to urge John to put on 
more speed, but he didn’t dare to speak, for 
Sadie had whispered to him not to say a word, 
for fear that John would know that it wasn’t 
the Prince who was with her. (John, you know, 
had been asleep, when they got into the car, and 
so, of course, he hadn’t had a chance to look 
at Jim.) Jim whispered back that he couldn’t 
see that it mattered if John did know, since, 
in a few hours, everybody would know. But 
Sadie said that that was quite different, and 
that though she was going to throw away her 
respectability, she wasn’t going to do it until 
she had to — and certainly not in front of the 
chauffeur. Then she rummaged around in the 
car, and found a pair of goggles, and a cap, 
and a big coat, which belonged to the Prince, 
and she made Jim put them on. The coat was 
big for the Prince, but it was tight for Jim, 
and made him look terribly sausage-y. 


LOOK ME IN THE EYE I 


257 


After that point, Sadie’s recollections be- 
come dim and twirly. She was fleeing, fleeing, 
along a winding, dipping road. It was still 
moonlight, and the little stars were still shining 
np so high, bnt sometimes, when Sadie looked 
np at them, she saw them mistily, and all dou- 
bled and trebled, which was quite unnecessary, 
for there were plenty of them, as it was. You 
mustn’t think from this that she was crying. 
Oh, no! But the wind always did make her 
eyes smart — and if there were tears hanging 
to her lashes they were tears of rage, and not 
— not anything else. Not tears of wounded 
feeling, or outraged love. Oh, no! No! To 
tell the truth, Sadie can’t remember what kind 
of tears they were, or what she felt, or what 
she thought about that June night, on that mad 
dash to town. 

Perhaps it was because she thought of every- 
thing — ^yes, of everything in the world. The 
moving-picture landscape, fleeing past her, 
seemed to start something going in her head, 


258 


SADIE DOVE 


and she thought and thought — faster and faster 
— of Jim, and the Prince, and the Comtesse — 
and of Aunt Julia, and Zozo, and Lillah, and 
Mumfy — and of the Promenade des Anglais, at 
Nice, and white lilacs — and of that evening, out 
in the bay, with the Prince, in the little boat — 
and of the big boat that wobbled — and of doors 
and doors being locked — and of — ^well — every- 
thing. It all seemed like a dream, and what 
she was doing now was part of the dream, too. 
And it seemed unreal to her that the man be- 
side her with the Prince’s coat on was not the 
Prince, but Jim ; and it could not be that she was 
eloping with him — really eloping. 

She remembers that Jim said something, once, 
about stopping for half a minute somewhere, to 
get a bite to eat, and that she wouldn’t, and 
that he sank back into his corner with a groan. 
That incident alone stands out distinct. The 
rest of the ride was accomplished like a dream. 
And, still in a dream, they were approaching 
New York — ^they were in it — ^they were going 


LOOK ME IN THE EYE! 


259 


down Twenty-third Street — they were at the 
docks. She remembers whispering to Jim to 
bolt for the ship, the moment the anto stopped, 
so that John shouldn’t get a good look at him. 
Jim did, and almost broke his neck doing it. 
Then, it was only a minute — ^they were on the 
boat — they were following a steward — they 
were in the charming little salon of the royal 
suite, reserved for the Prince and Princess Pal- 
lavicini. There were heaps of flowers, every- 
where, and on the table, in the center of the 
cabin, was a pile of steamer gifts^ — ^books and 
magazines and still more flowers. 

Sadie set down Mikey and looked around. 
Then, without speaking, she went to the port- 
hole and glanced out. The port-hole opened 
upon the promenade deck, and so she could not 
see much — just a glimpse of the building, on 
the dock. She couldn’t see the little stars, shin- 
ing up so high, and the moonlight seemed all 
gone. She turned, abruptly, as two more 
stewards came in. One of them was carry- 


260 SADIE LOVE 

ing the steamer trunk and the other the hat 
trunk. 

‘‘Just like home,’’ remarked Jim to Sadie. 
‘ ‘ The trunks that all the hotel porters carry. ’ ’ 

The stewards carried the trunks into the ad- 
joining cabin, where the berths were, and then 
went out, bowing and ducking. They were 
hardly gone when in came another steward, and 
he was bowing and ducking, too. He seemed 
to be their very own steward, for, as he sur- 
veyed them, he had an unmistakably proprie- 
tary air. He salaamed to Jim and to Sadie, 
said something in Italian to Jim, and finally 
bowed himself out. 

“What did he say!” demanded Jim, shov- 
ing up his goggles onto his forehead and star- 
ing at Sadie. “Why does he jabber at me like 
that! Don’t they speak English at all on these 
boats!” 

“He — ^he thinks you’re Luigi!” said Sadie 
Love. 

“Oh, my Lord!” exclaimed Jim, overcome. 


LOOK ME IN THE EYE! 


261 


‘^and I don’t know a word of Italian!” Then 
he added, reflectively: ‘^I suppose I might try 
to speak it, though. It sounds easy.” 

‘^Oh — no!” cried Sadie, alarmed. Don’t 
open your mouth!” 

‘^All the way over?” Jim looked aghast at 
the thought. ‘‘Sadie! That’ll be awful!” 

“The whole thing is awful,” said Sadie 
Love, agitatedly. 

“You’re not going to back out?” demanded 
Jim. 

“I won’t back out!” declared Sadie, desper- 
ately. 

“We can’t, that’s all,” Jim pointed out. 
“After all the things we’ve said we’d do, we’ve 
got to make good on something!” 

‘ ‘ Yes, I know, ’ ’ agreed Sadie, more agitatedly 
than ever. “I’ll go through with it if it kills 
me. But oh — Jim — I never felt so immoral in 
all my life. When I came up the gang-plank 
I could just feel everybody pointing at me, and 
saying, ‘She’s eloping!’ Even the waves said 


262 


SADIE LOVE 


it — slopping against the side of the boat. ’ ’ And 
then she sat down and started to cry. 

‘^Now, now, Sadie — began Jim in a help- 
less effort to be comforting. 

be all right in a minute,’’ murmured 
Sadie, tearfully. ‘‘I suppose you always feel 
like this the first time you run away with any- 
body.” She pulled herself together and dried 
her eyes, but when Mikey came over and put 
his head on her lap, and looked up at her with 
the most wistful expression, she had to swal- 
low hard, and she almost started in all over 
again. ‘‘I wonder if they’ve let him out yet?” 
she said, tearfully. She looked at Mikey as 
she said it, but of course it was to Jim that 
she was speaking — and of course it was of the 
Prince that she was thinking ! 

‘‘Don’t you worry,” Jim reassured her, 
“he and Lillah won’t get here in time to stop 
us.” 

“Don’t you think so?” Sadie got up, look- 
ing unmistakably alarmed. 


LOOK ME IN THE EYE! 


263 


‘‘Do you want them toT’ demanded Jim, ex- 
asperatedly. 

“Of course not !’’ retorted Sadie, indignantly, 
and then she asked, nervously, “What time is 
itr’ 

Jim consulted his watch. “Half -past twelve. 
We sail in half an hour.’’ 

“Oh!” There was no question about it — 
Sadie downright gasped at that. 

“I believe you do want them to get here,” 
declared Jim, watching her suspiciously, “the 
way you act — ” 

“How do you expect me to act?” interrupted 
Sadie, exasperatedly. “I can’t behave as if 
I were going out to tea! You seem to forget 
— I never eloped with anyone before.” 

“Kindly remember,” replied Jim, with con- 
siderable testiness, “I haven’t either. It’s 
worse for me than it is for you,” and then when 
Sadie, at this, gave an indignant gasp, he said, 
“You, at least, have something to wear! What 
am I going to do?” and he threw open the bor- 


264 


SADIE LOVE 


rowed coat and displayed his clothes — dirty, 
tom, bedraggled — from falling out of windows, 
and landing on trunks. (Which all the porters 
carry.) 

‘‘You can stay in your room,’’ said Sadie 
Love. 

‘ ‘ All the way T ’ Jim stared at her. 

“I suppose,” said Sadie, looking agitatedly 
out of the port-hole, “that you could come out 
at night, when everybody is asleep. ’ ’ 

“My, but this is going to be a nice trip!”, 
Jim seemed quite overwhelmed at the prospect. 
But then, as he glanced around, he brightened 
up a bit. “Well,” he comforted himself, “if 
I do have to keep out of sight — this is a com- 
fortable suite.” 

At that Sadie turned away from the port- 
hole quickly enough. 

“You can’t stay here I” she exclaimed, scan- 
dalized. 

“WTiy not?” 

“WTiat would people thinkf^^ 


LOOK ME IN THE EYE! 


265 


‘Hf I donH stay here, what’ll they think?” 
demanded Jim. ‘H’m supposed to he your hus- 
band — on our honeymoon.” 

‘‘But you’re not.” 

“People don’t know that.” 

“But 7 do !” said Sadie Love, with emphasis, 
and she went over and pressed the push- 
button. “I’m going to get the purser!” she 
exclaimed. 

“He won’t have another cabin,” protested 
Jim. “It’s the rush season. The boat’s 
jammed!” 

“If he hasn’t another room — ^you’ll have to 
get off!” said Sadie Love, with decision. 

“Sadie! I couldn’t go back — now!” Jim 
gazed at her as tragically as if he were the 
injured heroine of a melodrama. 

“Don’t look as if I’d — ^led you astray,” ex- 
claimed Sadie, exasperatedly, and then feeling 
that she had been a little hard on Jim, she said, 
“Well, if it comes to the worst, I suppose you 
can sleep in a deck-chair.” 


266 


SADIE LOVE 


‘ ‘ Thank you, ’ ’ retorted Jim, caustically. The 
sarcasm was lost on Sadie, who was busy figur- 
ing it all out. 

‘‘But in the daytime,’^ she went on to instruct 
him, “you’ll simply have to keep out of sight. 
Someone on hoard would be sure to know that 
you weren ’t Luigi. ’ ’ 

“How can I keep out of sight?” demanded 
Jim. “I can’t stay in a room unless I have 
one.” 

“Can’t you — go down in the hold,” asked 
Sadie, a hit timidly, “or — or look at the 
machinery? Men always do look at the ma- 
chinery.” 

“This is going to he a beautiful trip,” re- 
peated Jim, with even greater conviction. But 
Sadie didn’t pay any attention to this, either. 
She was moving restlessly about, and looking 
out the port-hole, to be sure that the land was 
still there. Then she turned her attention for 
a moment to the things that people had sent her, 
and got quite tearful about them. 


LOOK ME IN THE EYE! 


267 


‘‘Did you ever see so many flowers she 
exclaimed. 

“Why didn^t they send some fruit?’’ asked 
Jim, looking hungrily around. 

“Don’t always be thinking of food,” said Sa- 
die, exasperatedly. 

“I wouldn’t,” retorted Jim, “if I could get 
some, once in a while. I said this afternoon 
that I’d begin reducing to-morrow. I was mis- 
taken. I began to-day.” 

Just then the steward came in answer to the 
bell. He seemed dreadfully startled when he 
saw Jim without his goggles — for, of course, 
that showed up Jim’s black eye. Jim hastily 
pulled the goggles down again, and Sadie told 
the steward that she wanted to speak with the 
Purser. The steward bowed delightedly, as- 
sured her that the Purser would be honored, 
and started to bow himself out, but stopped 
suddenly, and Sadie perceived that he was star- 
ing at Jim, who was waving his hands at him. 
Jim, you see, wanted to ask the steward for a 


268 


SADIE LOVE 


sandwich, but after what Sadie had said he 
was afraid to do it in English, and he didn’t 
know how to do it in anything else. Hence 
the gestures. Then, all at once, he got an in- 
spiration. ^ ^ Sandweech ! ” he exclaimed — which 
was English, of course, but with a foreign 
touch. The steward comprehended, and, 
smiling ecstatically, went out, bowing and 
ducking. 

‘^Whatever I do,” reflected Sadie Love, ‘‘I 
think I’ll keep my title. It makes people bob 
around so.” Just then a whistle blew, some- 
where outside, and Sadie exclaimed and seemed 
positively panic-stricken, and Jim said she was 
going to back out, and she said she wasn’t, 
but what time was it, and he said, if she wasn’t 
going to back out, what did it matter what time 
it was, and she said that she had a right to 
know what time it was, and if Jim wouldn’t tell 
her she’d find out somewhere else. Then Jim 
did tell her, and it was a quarter to one, and 
Sadie looked relieved and agitated, at one and 


LOOK ME IN THE EYE! 


269 


tlie same time, and thonglit they^d better go up 
on deck — ^just to get a little air. But Jim said 
be wouldn’t go till the sandwich came. Just 
then there was a knock on the door. 

Sadie!” exclaimed Jim, imploringly, ^4t’s 
the sandwich. Let it in!” Sadie did, but it 
was only the Purser. He, like the steward, was 
an Italian, and he started talking, at once, in 
his native tongue, with Jim, who fled into the 
stateroom. The Purser seemed a bit aston- 
ished at this, and Sadie had to explain that her 
husband had a toothache, and that she must 
have another cabin for him — ^preferably at the 
other end of the ship. 

‘‘It doesn’t matter what sort of a cabin,” she 
said, Anything will do. You can squeeze him 
in somewhere, can’t you — ^with a thin officer, or 
somebody?” 

The Purser was very polite, and very, very 
sorry, but they had nothing — alas, principessa, 
nothing at all. 

“It wouldn’t matter,” explained Sadie Love, 


270 


SADIE LOVE 


‘‘if it were second class, or — ^you must have 
something in the steer age 
The Purser, at that, looked as if he couldn’t 
believe his ears, and withdrew, in disorder, 
stammering that he would see what could be 
done, but he was sure, alas, that there was noth- 
ing — nothing ! 

“Jim!” called Sadie Love. Jim came out of 
the stateroom. “Did you hear what he said?” 
asked Sadie. ‘ ‘ He hasn ’t a cabin 1 ’ ’ 

There was another knock at the door, just 
then, and in came the steward, at last, with 
the sandwiches. When Jim saw them he for- 
got everything else in the world. He made a 
rush for them, grabbed them (there were only 
two of them) and started eating them, both at 
once. 

‘ ‘ More ! ” he exclaimed, to the steward — quite 
forgetting, this time, to employ his Italian ac- 
cent, but his mouth was full, and that gave him 
a sort of an accent — though, of course, it wasn’t 
quite the same! 


LOOK ME IN THE EYE! 


271 


‘^MoreT’ repeated Sadie, when the steward 
had disappeared, bowing to the breaking point. 
‘‘You haven ^t time for more. Didn^t yon hear 
what the Purser said? He hasn’t a cabin for 
you. We must get off 1 ” 

“Where are we going nowV^ asked Jim, de- 
spairingly (but not so despairingly as if he 
hadn’t had a sandwich) ! “Which is it goin^ 
to be — Bermuda, or China?” 

“My cousin’s,” said Sadie. 

“Where I’ll have such a nice view of your 
husband coming up the drive to kill me?” 

“Don’t you want to go?” Sadie, taken 
aback, stared at him. 

‘ ‘ Oh, I ’m dying to go, ’ ’ Jim assured her, caus- 
tically, “and I daresay I’ll die if I do go!” 

Then Sadie said he didn’t want to go, and 
he hadn’t wanted to come on her honeymoon, 
from the start, and that she had dragged him 
into it, and she wished now that she hadn ’t, be- 
cause he hated her for it, and he could go away, 
and leave her to her fate, and she’d sail for 


272 


SADIE LOVE 


Italy alone, and die on the way over, and be 
buried in some awful Italian cemetery, with 
lizards crawling all over her. Mikey, she said, 
would be the only one at her funeral, and be 
was the only person that cared for her any- 
how — and then she began to cry. At that, Jim 
got dreadfully agitated, and put down the suit- 
case, and pushed the automobile goggles right 
up on top of bis bead, and bis hair along with 
them. 

‘‘Sadie!’’ be exclaimed, and went to her, and 
told her bow much be loved her, and that be 
never bad loved anyone but her, and started to 
put bis arms around her. 

“What are you doing!” asked Sadie Love, 
indignantly, pulling away from him. 

“Just one kiss !” pleaded Jim, “to show that 
you forgive me.” 

“No!” Sadie seemed shocked at the very 
idea. 

“You don’t forgive me!” said Jim. 

“I do!” said Sadie Love, “but I won’t kiss 


LOOK ME IN THE EYE! 


273 


you ! ’ ’ And when Jim asked her why, she said 
that there wasn’t time, and, besides, she didn’t 
like to kiss people. 

^‘Oh, Sadie!” Jim waxed reproachful. 
‘‘After all I’ve gone through for you!” And 
then he caught her in his arms, and was going 
to kiss her whether or no, but Sadie struggled 
and simply wouldnH he kissed, and then, when 
he still held her, and still kept on trying to kiss 
her, a sudden panicky rage swept over her, and 
she slapped him full in the face. He let her go 
quickly enough at that. 

“Oh!” cried Sadie, appalled at what she had 
done, “I didn’t mean to hit you in the face, 
but — there was so much of it.” That slipped 
out before she knew what she was saying. 

“Eight on my sore eye, too,” exclaimed Jim, 
almost blubbering with self-pity. “You don’t 
give a hang for me, Sadie Love! You won’t 
let me come near you — ^you won’t even let me 
kiss you ! You haven’t any intention of — ^being 
unfaithful.” 


274 


SADIE LOVE 


‘^How dare you accuse me like that!’’ ex- 
claimed Sadie indignantly. 

‘^And this is my reward/^ cried Jim in a 
rage, “when IVe got a black eye for you and 
been locked up all day and crawled out of win- 
dows and fallen down ropes and landed on 
trunks — that all the hotel porters carry ! This 
is what I get when IVe given up everything 
for you — ^my home, my wife — ^my meals I’’ 
(This last in a climax of emotion.) 

“Oh, go on and eat your sandwich I replied 
Sadie Love exasperatedly. “It’s what your 
mind’s been fixed on all evening! You pre- 
tended to be eloping with me, but what you were 
really doing was — running away to a ham sand- 
wich I ’ ’ 

“Oh!” Jim looked as if he’d positively blow 
up with rage. “And you? What about you? 
What’s the object of all your running away? 
As far as I can make out it’s simply to give 
me a fine view from your cousin’s house at 
Eoslyn!” 


LOOK ME IN THE EYE I 


275 


‘‘Oh, Jimmy dear — 

“I’m no dear!” interrupted Jim wrathfully. 
“I’m a goat!” 

“But, Jim—” 

‘ ‘ Sadie ! ’ ’ Jim went up close to her and con- 
fronted her sternly. “Look me in the eyes.” 

“You’ve only one eye,” said Sadie. 

“Well, look me in one eye, then, and tell me 
— do you really love me?” 

Sadie’s gaze met his for a moment, then it 
faltered. She turned away for a second, and 
then she turned hack to him again. 

“Oh, Jim,” she began, “I don’t want to seem 
ungrateful or unsympathetic — ” 

“Going to let me down easy!” interrupted 
Jim. ‘ ‘ I can feel it coming ! ’ ’ 

“You’ve been a perfect dear!” said Sadie 
Love a trifle tearfully. “Yes, you are a dear, 
Jim ! And if you seem to have been the goat, 
you — ^you’re a dear goat !” 

“Don’t be a nature-faker,” objected Jim 
sulkily. 


276 


SADIE LOVE 


‘‘YouVe crawled down ropes, said Sadie 
Love, ‘‘and landed on very hard trunks — and 
had things happen to your eye. I love you for 
it. I always have loved you. I always shall 
love you. But, oh — Jim — I^m afraid I don’t 
love you — the way I ought to.” 

“Perhaps,” commented Jim moodily, “if you 
loved me any more it’d he the death of me.” 

“I — I wasn’t sure,” said Sadie, “till just 
now, when you tried to kiss me, and I — didn’t 
want you to.” Then, filled with impulsive re- 
proach, she exclaimed, “What a beast you must 
think me, to talk to you like this — without any 
regard for how I’m hurting you!” 

“But you’re not hurting me,” protested Jim, 
and he looked as surprised at this as Sadie 
Love did. “That’s the queer thing about it, 
Sadie. You’re not hurting me. At this mo- 
ment my most vivid emotion is one of distinct 
relief.” 

Sadie gazed at him for a moment, as if she 
did not even yet quite understand. Then, when 


LOOK ME IN THE EYE! 27? 


she did begin to comprehend, her expression 
changed to one of astonishment, and from that 
to indignation. 

‘ ^ And yon said yon loved me ! ^ ^ she exclaimed, 
wonldn^t have taken yon on my honeymoon 
if I hadn’t thonght yon loved me !” 

“I do love yon, Sadie!” Jim assnred her ear- 
nestly. always have loved yon. I always 
shall love yon. Bnt I think that the first wild, 
nncontrollable fervor of my passion has been 
sort of — knocked ont of me! I’d rather be 
yonr friend than yonr hnsband. Yon ’re too 
strennons for me. ’ ’ 

snppose,” snggested Sadie canstically, 
^^yon’d prefer a nice, qniet woman — like 
Lillah.” 

‘‘My dear,” replied Jim, “my days with Lil- 
lah were not always tranqnil, bnt I never had 
so many things happen to me in my whole mar- 
ried life as I have on this — ostensible honey- 
moon. ’ ’ 

“Well,” said Sadie with decision, “I want 


278 


SADIE LOVE 


you to understand one thing. You may go back 
to Lillah if you wish — ^but I’ll never go back 
to Luigi I ’ ’ 

There was a knock at the door just then and 
Jim, thinking it was the steward, with more 
sandwiches, exclaimed, ‘^Come in!” 

It was the steward, right enough, but he 
didn’t have the sandwiches. Instead he was 
carrying a traveling-case, which, to Sadie at 
least, seemed strangely familiar. 

‘‘Ah! ScusV^ entreated the steward apolo- 
getically, but he seemed amused. “I theenk be- 
fore that the Signore,” and he pointed to Jim, 
“ees the principe. And now — ^the principe 
come — ^himself ! ’ ’ 

He smilingly deposited the traveling-bag and 
withdrew. There was a moment’s tense pause. 

“Jim!” gasped Sadie. “He’s here! It’s 
Luigi!” 


CHAPTER XVI 

THE BAND PLAYS 

Jim swallowed hard. ‘‘Let him come,’’ he said. 
He tried to look heroic as he spoke, but he 
couldn’t very well, with that cap and the gog- 
gles and the coat that was too tight. Besides, 
he didn’t feel heroic. 

“You’d better go,” quavered Sadie Love. 

“Do you think I’ll run away from him?” ex- 
claimed Jim, outraged. 

“Oh — no, of course not,” faltered Sadie. 
“Besides,” and she looked around desperately, 
“there’s no place to run!” Then she got quite 
panic-stricken and cried, “Oh — Jim! He’ll be 
down here in a minute ! Shall I lock the door ? ’ ’ 

Jim shook his head. At that moment they 
both heard the Prince outside. Sadie tried to 
look haughty and unconcerned and so did Jim, 
but he pulled the goggles down over his eyes 
279 


280 


SADIE LOVE 


and buttoned up the automobile coat. As he 
pulled himself up, a button popped off the coat, 
under the strain, and that rather took the starch 
out of him. And then the door swung open, and 
the Prince came in, with a rush. When he 
caught sight of Jim he started straight for him, 
and Sadie Love felt certain that a murder was 
going to be committed then and there. But 
Mikey intervened. He was so delighted to see 
the Prince that he made a wild rush for him, 
and tripped him, and got stepped on, and 
squealed. By the time that the Prince had re- 
gained his balance and Mikey had stopped 
shrieking, the situation had been robbed of its 
drama. The Prince, to be sure, did make an- 
other start for Jim, but just then Lillah came 
rushing in for all the world like Damon sav- 
ing Pythias (or was it Pythias saving Damon?). 
Only, of course, Lillah hadnT come exactly to 
save Jim. She got between him and the Prince, 
and, stretching out her arm in her most majestic 
manner, exclaimed: ‘‘Leave him to meT^ 


THE BAND PLAYS 


281 


It was then that the steward came in again 
with a whole plateful of sandwiches. When Jim 
caught sight of those sandwiches he forgot 
everything else. He gave a gasp of joy and 
pushed up his goggles so that he could feast 
his eyes upon the heavenly apparition. The 
steward stood, ducking and grinning, near the 
doorway. 

Scusi/^ he began, but the Prince impatiently 
waved him away, and he retreated in confu- 
sion, taking the plate with him. 

‘ ‘ Those are my sandwiches ! ’ ^ cried Jim in a 
rage. ‘‘And, what^s more, I^m going to have 
them!’’ and with that he made a bolt for the 
door and out he went before the others could 
say Jack Eobinson. 

“He shan’t touch a mouthful of them!” and 
Lillah disappeared in determined pursuit. So 
Sadie and the Prince were left alone. 

“Oh, Sadie!” began the Prince. 

“Don’t ‘Oh, Sadie’ me!” cried Sadie Love. 

“Oh, Sadie!” said the Prince involuntarily. 


282 


SADIE LOVE 


‘‘I wonH be ‘Ob, Sadied^!’^ and sbe started 
for tbe door. 

‘ ‘ Sadie ! ’ ^ pleaded tbe Prince, intervening be- 
tween ber and tbe door. “When I ask Marise 
to go with me I was desperate — I did not know 
wbat I do!^^ 

“Yon knew perfectly well wbat you were do- 
ing,’’ retorted Sadie Love. “Yon were asking 
ber to go away with yon — on a steady ship — 
that wobbles. ’ ’ 

“It was all because of yon. It was my jeal- 
ousy, my — ^my sorrow — ^because I loved yon 
so.” 

“So mncb that yon bad to go away with an- 
other woman. If yon loved me tmce as mncb 
I suppose you’d go away with two other 
women ! ’ ’ 

Before tbe Prince could reply tbe steward 
came in again, looking apologetic. He said 
something in Italian to tbe Prince. 

“A reporter,” tbe Prince, disturbed, trans- 
lated for Sadie. 


THE BAND PLAYS 


283 


‘‘Come to ask me how I like being married 
to you ! ’ ’ said Sadie Love. ‘ ‘ If you let him in 
I ^11 tell him the truth I ’ ^ 

**Bio!** cried the Prince, panic-stricken, and 
he rushed out. The steward followed him, so 
Sadie Love was quite alone now, except for 
Mikey. She didnT know what in the world to 
do — and, of course, Mikey couldnT tell her. She 
didnT know whether to get off the boat or stay 
on the boat or what. She felt quite lost, and 
no wonder. She had suddenly been deprived 
of what, during the last few hours, had been 
her constant occupation and preoccupation, 
namely — eloping with Jim. And Jim not only 
was not eloping with her any more — ^he seemed 
to have forgotten and deserted her entirely. 
But he hadn’t, for, even as she was thinking 
that he had, in he came again, just swallowing 
the last of a sandwich. 

“Sadie,” he began, “I oughtn’t to have left 
you like that. But I just had to get those sand- 
wiches.” And he took out his handkerchief 


284 SADIE LOVE 

and wiped Ms month with a sigh of content- 
ment. 

‘‘Jim/’ said Sadie Love with conviction, 
“you’ve gained another pound. If you keep 
on at the rate you’re going, in another year 
you’ll he beefy.” Then she asked him if he 
was going to stay on the boat or get off of it, 
and he said he didn’t know, but he thought he’d 
get off, but he’d have to tell Lillah first. 

“Where is she?” asked Sadie. 

“When I left her,” said Jim, “she was try- 
ing to get a suite. You see, she thinks I’m 
going to sail with you — and she’s made up her 
mind that she^s coming, too.” 

At that moment Lillah herself came rushing 
in. She seemed relieved when she caught sight 
of Jim. 

“I can’t get a suite,” she exclaimed. 

“You may have mine, ’ ’ said Sadie Love, mak- 
ing up her mind all of a sudden, “I’m not 
sailing!” 


THE BAND PLAYS 


285 


‘‘Where are you going now?’’ demanded Lil- 
lah discouragedly. 

“To her cousin’s, at Eoslyn, famous for its 
beautiful drive!” said Jim with a grin. 

“If you and Jim would only settle down some- 
where!” cried Lillah despairingly. 

“I’m going alone,” explained Sadie haugh- 
tily. Lillah gasped and looked as if she 
couldn’t believe her ears. “I hate to lose you, 
Jim,” said Sadie, softening, as she turned to 
him. “It’s like a divorce. You know, you’ve 
been almost a husband to me.” And she went 
into the other cabin after her satchel. 

Lillah turned to Jim. She seemed quite be- 
wildered. 

“Aren’t you going to elope with her again?” 
she asked. 

“Lillah,” said Jim gravely, “I’ve eloped my 
last elope. Sadie and I have agreed to dis- 
agree. ’ ’ 

Lillah couldn’t credit it for a minute or so. 


286 


SADIE LOVE 


Wlien slie realized that it was really true she 
drew herself up and remarked indignantly : 

‘‘I suppose you think now that you can come 
back to me!** 

Jim was silent for a moment, then he looked 
at her rather timidly and asked; ‘‘What do you 
think, Lillahr’ 

“There’s only one way that I can get even 
with you,” declared Lillah, “and that is — stay 
married to you.” 

“Well, Lillah,” remarked Jim, a twinkle in 
his eye, “you know, they say — revenge is 
sweet. ’ ’ 

The Prince, who had got rid of the reporter, 
came in just then. He stopped short upon per- 
ceiving Lillah and Jim and, after a hasty glance 
around, demanded: “Where’s my wife?” 

“I am no longer responsible for your wife!” 
replied Jim haughtily, “I have wives of my 
own,” and he started to march out. He was 
trying to be very dignified, but just as he got 
to the door another button popped off the auto- 


THE BAND PLAYS 


287 


mobile coat, and he remembered that he was 
wearing the Prince’s clothes and that spoiled 
the whole effect of his exit. 

“Yon don’t mean,” the Prince, astonished, 
asked Lillah, as she was about to follow Jim, 
“that this is a — a reconciliation?” 

‘ ^ I don ’t know, ’ ’ said Lillah doubtfully. “It’s 
strange, but I’m not nearly so much interested 
in Jim, now that I know he’s not interested in 
anyone else.” 

“Don’t worry,” the Prince consoled her, “he 
soon will be!” 

“ Oh ! ” cried Lillah and went out in a rage — 
which, after all, was the most natural way for 
her to go out. As Lillah went out Sadie came 
in from the bedroom cabin. She was carrying 
Mikey and her satchel. When she caught sight 
of the Prince she executed a right-about-face 
and went back into the bedroom cabin again 
and shut the door. Just why she did that I do 
not know, and I doubt if anyone ever will know, 
except Sadie Love — and she won’t tell. My pri- 


288 


SADIE LOVE 


vate opinion is that she didn’t want to get off 
the boat at all, and that she went back into the 
room and shut herself in in the hope that the 
boat would start while she was in there and 
that then it would be too late for her (or the 
Prince) to get off. Anyhow, she did go back 
into the cabin and shut herself in. And just as 
the Prince started to plead his cause again, 
through the door, who should come into the 
salon but the Comtesse. And after her came 
— Mumfy Crewe! 

I must go back here for a moment and tell 
you how it happened that the Comtesse and 
Mumfy (and, for that matter, the Prince and 
Lillah) had found their way to the SanV Anna. 

The Comtesse, you will remember, began to 
have hysterics in Sadie’s boudoir when she 
found out that the Prince had been intending 
to sail with Sadie; and Mrs. Warrington, you 
will also recall, led the Comtesse away to have 
her hysterics comfortably in her room. But 
when the Comtesse got to her room and had 


THE BAND PLAYS 


289 


been assisted to a conch and was jnst starting in 
on her hysterics, Zozo suddenly began to go 
through the most awful performance in his 
gilded basket, so that the Comtes se straightway 
forgot about her own hysterics in her excite- 
ment about his. 

Of course, Zozo wasn’t exactly having hys- 
terics, but he was having a fit, which was the 
next best thing. He kept the Comtesse and 
Mrs. Warrington fully occupied for ten min- 
utes. Then, when it was over, and Zozo had 
subsided (very tired, but feeling much better, 
thank you), the Comtesse decided that she 
wouldn’t have her hysterics, after all. Maybe 
she thought that they would be anti-climax, 
after Zozo’s exhibition; or perhaps she con- 
cluded that she wouldn’t have time for them. 
For she had suddenly determined to leave Mrs. 
Warrington’s roof at once. She had no fur- 
ther business there, and it wasn’t good for 
Zozo. 

So she gathered herself and Zozo together 


290 


SADIE LOVE 


and descended to the first floor. In the hall- 
way she met Mumfy Crewe, and he was leaving, 
too. He had, he explained to her, put up with 
all that he could stand in that house. That 
was exactly how the Comtesse felt, so what was 
more natural than that they should leave to- 
gether? And they did, ten minutes later, in an 
automobile from the Seaside Inn garage. 

As for the Prince and Lillah : after Mrs. War- 
rington had got the Comtesse and Zozo off 
her hands she rushed back to Sadie ^s boudoir 
to find out what had happened there. She dis- 
covered soon enough! Lillah and the Prince, 
inside, were raging around like a whole menag- 
erie of wild animals. When Mrs. Warrington 
told them that the key was gone, and she didn’t 
know how she ever would get them out, they 
got worse than ever, and the Prince said he’d 
jump out the window, and that then, if he were 
killed, Sadie would be a widow and wouldn’t 
need to divorce him. Luckily, just then Mrs. 
Warrington remembered that there was an- 


THE BAND PLAYS 


291 


other key to that door, but it took her at least 
ten minutes to locate it. She did find it, though, 
and the Prince and Lillah were released, and 
then they went tearing off to town together in • 
another automobile from the ‘‘Seaside’’ gar- 
age. They arrived at the Sant^ Anna almost at 
the same time as Mumfy and the Comtesse, but 
neither of the parties happened to see the other. 
So the Prince had no idea that the Comtesse 
was on the ship. When he saw her, now, come 
into the door of his cabin, it is safe to say 
that he felt the SanV Anna really begin to 
“wobble.” 

‘ ‘ Marise ! ” he gasped. He must have looked 
all his alarm, for the Comtesse hastened to re- 
assure him. 

“Ah, non, Luigi!” and she positively smiled 
at him. “Do not fear. I come to ze boat only 
to rescue my luggage. I do not sail!” The 
Prince, at that, was about to attempt an ex- 
planation, but the Comtesse interrupted him. 
^‘Ah, non, mon cherT^ she protested. 


292 


SADIE LOVE 


d* excuses, Je comprends. Wen ze heart speak, 
we must obey. Yon find eet ees your wife you 
love. I can only say ^mes compliments!^ She 
ees charmante!^^ 

The Prince, who didnT know what in the 
world to make of this, looked blank. ‘ ‘ Meestair 
Crewe,’’ the Comtesse continued, ’ave been 
so sympathetique. He come wiz me to New 
York — he breeng me to ze boat — ” At that the 
Prince ceased to look blank. He was begin- 
ning to understand ! The Comtesse, whose af- 
fections possesed the supreme merit of elas- 
ticity, was on the way to finding another twin 
soul! Just then Mumfy, who was looking 
rather greenish, spoke up : 

‘Hf you don’t mind,” he suggested weakly 
to the Comtesse, ‘‘could I help you otf now? 
I’m a wretched sailor. The mere sight of a 
boat makes me ill. I begin to feel queer al- 
ready. ’ ’ 

“Ah! Mon Dieu! Pauvre gargon!*^ cried 
the Comtesse sympathetically. “Om, oui! We 


THE BAND PLAYS 


293 


goV^ She turned to the Prince. ^‘Adien!^’ 
She held out her hand. 

“Marise!’’ exclaimed the Prince fervently 
(he had to he fervent under the circumstances ; 
common politeness required it!). He took her 
hand and kissed it. 

‘‘Ah, Luigi cried the Comtesse, suddenly 
overcome with emotion, “we, who ’ave love so 
much — we must not say good-bye — like thees,’’ 
and, giving the Zozo basket to Mumfy to hold, 
she threw her arms about the Princess neck 
in an ardent farewell embrace. Of course, that 
had to be the moment when Sadie Love came 
back into the salon ! She had heard the voices 
and couldn’t make out who was there, so she 
simply had to come in to see. And she did see. 

“Adieu, Luigi!” the Comtesse released him 
and took the Zozo basket from Mumfy. “Luigi 
— adieu ! ’ ’ and she passed out the doorway, wav- 
ing the basket in farewell to the Prince. She 
paid absolutely no attention to Sadie — but Sa- 
die did to her. 


294 


SADIE LOVE 


‘‘That settles it!’’ exclaimed Sadie Love, and 
she and Mikey and the satchel started for the 
door. 

“Oh — carissima/* cried the Prince, interpos- 
ing, and he began to explain what she had just 
seen, and to tell her how Marise had found 
a new twin soul, and that she would never come 
between them again. But Sadie declared that 
all that didn’t interest her in the least, and that 
the Prince cared for the Comtesse more than 
he did for her and always would or else why 
had he asked her to sail with him? 

“And you would have sailed with her!” de- 
clared Sadie Love, “you know you would. 
You’d be starting off for Italy with her at this 
very minute — if I hadn’t changed my mind.” 

“But, my dear,” protested the Prince, “you 
were sure to change your mind!” 

Sadie had to smile at that, though she didn’t 
want to — and then the Prince explained it all 
again — ^how he had asked the Comtesse to meet 
him on the 8anV Anna only to get even with 


THE BAND PLAYS 


295 


Sadie, because she bad said sbe didn’t care for 
bim and that sbe was going to marry Jim. 

“Ob, Sadie!” be pleaded. “Can’t you see 
that it is you I love — ^just you — ^my Sadie Love 
— my wife!” 

But Sadie couldn’t believe bim — at least sbe 
said that sbe couldn’t. Sbe couldn’t trust bim 
— at least sbe said that sbe couldn’t. 

“I can’t be your wife,” sbe declared, shak- 
ing ber bead, “it isn’t a steady enough posi- 
tion.” 

“Ob, my Sadie!” cried the Prince. “What 
can I do to prove to you that my love — ^my ado- 
ration — ^will never, never change?” 

An idea came to Sadie. 

‘ ‘ There ’s just one thing you can do, ’ ’ sbe said, 
“go away and stay away until you’re sure — and 
I’m sure — ^tbat we won’t either of us — change 
our minds ever again.” 

“Go away?” asked the Prince blankly. 
“But, Sadie — bow long before you be — quite 
sure?” 


296 


SADIE LOVE 


‘ ‘ Of you ? ’ ’ said Sadie. ‘ ‘ Five years ! ’ ’ 

‘‘Oh, Sadie he stared at her, appalled. 

“Yes,^’ declared Sadie Love relentlessly, 
“I’ll get off the boat, and you go to Italy — 
and stay there — for five years I” 

‘ ‘ Five years, Sadie ? Dio ! ^ ' 

“Four, then!” conceded Sadie. 

“No — three!” 

“I’ll make it two!” said Sadie Love. 

“No — one!” pleaded the Prince. 

‘ ‘ Six months ! ’ ’ said Sadie with decision. 

“Not see you for six months!” exclaimed the 
Prince passionately. “I die!” and he tried 
to take her hands in his. 

“No, no!” she eluded him. Her eye was 
caught hy a large calendar, hanging between the 
portholes. She went to it and took it down. “Lis- 
ten,” she said to the Prince, “it’s June now! 
In July,” and she turned up a leaf of the calen- 
dar, “if you still feel the same — ^write me.” 

“Write!” exclaimed the Prince with passion- 
ate expressiveness. 


THE BAND PLAYS 


297 


‘‘In August,’’ she turned up another leaf, 
“if you still feel the same — come back to Amer- 
ica — and call on me. ’ ’ 

“Call!” The Prince’s expression would 
have done for a study of the martyrdom of 
Saint Sebastian. 

“September, still the same — call twice,” con- 
tinued Sadie, and again she turned a leaf of the 
calendar with the dispassionate gesture of Fate. 

‘ ‘ Twice only ? ’ ’ demanded the Prince with an- 
guished entreaty. 

“October — still the same — ^kiss me.” And 
Sadie turned still another leaf. 

The Prince misunderstood her, or else, he 
got mixed up about the time of year, for he 
tried to kiss her then and there. But Sadie 
eluded him. 

“November,” went on Sadie, “77? kiss youJ^ 
She evidently had no delusions about the sea- 
sons, for she didn’t even look at him. 

“And December — ^you’ll be mine?” asked the 
Prince eagerly. “Mine? My wife?” 


298 


SADIE LOVE 


‘‘If you still feel tlie same,” said Sadie 
gravely, “in December.” 

“Sadie I” and be tried to put bis arms about 
ber. 

“No, no!” protested Sadie, and sbe moved 
away from bim. “It’s only June I ’ ’ 

“But June,” exclaimed tbe Prince, “was 
made for loving — and I — ^love you ! ’ ’ 

“Ob, dear!” said Sadie a bit breathlessly. 
“I — I’m afraid it’s July.” And sbe tore tbe 
June leaf oif tbe calendar. Tbe Prince tried to 
kiss ber then, but sbe sternly beld bim off. ‘ ‘ No, 
no! July, I said! You’re only writing me!” 

“I write that I bave loved you always!” 

“Before tbe world began?” 

“You were tbe goddess of tbe first spring 
dawn,” murmured tbe Prince passionately, 
“and Ibe beauty of all tbe world was in your 
eyes!” 

“It’s August,” breathed Sadie, and sbe tore 
off another leaf. “You — ^you’re calling on me 


now. 


THE BAND PLAYS 


299 


‘‘I call!^’ exclaimed tlie Prince breathlessly. 
‘‘I say I can no longer stay away! My heart 
cries out for you — and for September!’’ And 
he tore off a leaf of the calendar. 

^‘And so,” said Sadie, unsteadily, ^‘you call 
— and call again — and — Luigi — it’s October.” 
Another leaf fluttered to the floor. And then 
the Prince kissed her, but she didn’t mind, at 
that time of the year. 

November!” cried the Prince. The calen- 
dar gave up one more month. 

‘‘Luigi!” Sadie gave a half-sob, and she 
kissed him. But that was only proper. She had 
promised to, you know, when the season should 
be sufficiently advanced. And now she threw 
to the winds what was left of the year. She 
cast away the calendar. 

“December !” murmured the Prince, his arms 
about her. 

Just then Jim, who had rushed back to re- 
turn the coat, and the cap, and the goggles, 
looked in at the door. 


300 


SADIE LOVE 


“Happy New Year!’’ lie said, and flopped 
the coat and the cap and the goggles onto the 
floor, and fled. It was time he did, for just 
then the “All- Ashore” hell sounded, and the 
ship’s orchestra could be heard, on deck, strik- 
ing up a tune. 

Sadie looked up, weepily, at the Prince. 

“The band playing ‘Oh, my Lord!’ ” said 
Sadie Love. 


THE END 




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